Til Death Do Us Part
by superfreakerz
Summary: Immortal/Reincarnation AU. There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, though it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a mischievous boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** So, I'm here with a new story. I'm a little anxious because this story is way out of my comfort zone as I have never written anything remotely close to this haha. Idek what made me think of it, usually there's some reason I start writing a story but not this one. I was just kinda having writer's block for other story so I took a break and bam, I just started writing and came up with this lol. It's good to try new things!

I'm also trying a new approach of introducing things. I feel like in my other stories, I explain the characters' backstories really early and everything? It's hard to explain, but I'm trying to go at it differently with this story so we'll see how it turns out!

* * *

Chapter 1

Reincarnation and Immortality

 _Congratulations! You've been accepted into the University of Magnolia!_

Lucy released a sigh, resting her head in the palm of her hand as she stared at the letter sitting on her desk. The letter went on to explain how wonderful her time at their school would be and why she made a good choice to receive higher education there. Or rather, choosing to blow all of her money on tuition and books there. The only useful information in the letter was her school schedule, which had already been decided upon her admission, and when school would start this year.

Lucy wrote down her schedule and the date school started before crumpling up the letter and tossing it in the trash. Most people kept their admission letters framed as signs of success after years of hard work, or at least kept it safely stashed away somewhere. After all, that's what she had done with her first admission letter. But that was lifetimes ago. _Literally._

While most people tried to live their best lives knowing they only had one chance, Lucy was different. She had no idea why and doing research proved to be fruitless, but for some reason, she had been reincarnated every time she died, all the while retaining her memories.

It was horrifying at first. In Lucy's first life, she had a wonderful family and friends, only for it all to come to an abrupt end in a car accident. Before her death, she had often wondered what death would be like. She always pictured the light at the end of a tunnel, ushering her into the pearly white gates of Heaven, where she could rest with all of her loved ones that had already passed on. She even pictured being a ghost, watching over everyone she had left behind.

Never did she picture that she would wake up moments later, crying and covered in blood as she was just born again.

Sure, she played with the idea of reincarnation. After all, writing was her passion, of course she would drabble with the idea. Though, she never thought that she would actually remember everything from her past life.

Lucy's phone suddenly rang, startling her out of her thoughts. Clicking the green icon, the girl pulled her phone to her ear.

"Hey, Levy-chan!" she said. "What's up?"

"Lu-chan! My shift just ended. Let's hang out!" the other girl exclaimed.

"Sure! Our usual spot?"

"Duh! I'll see you there! Bye!"

"Bye!"

Lucy hung up and walked towards her closet. No matter what life she was living, the girl always chose to wear more revealing clothes. It suited her best.

With summer's crippling heat, Lucy chose to wear a white dress that went mid-thigh and showed a generous amount of cleavage. Since it was her first time going out in weeks, the girl decided to curl her hair and apply a thin layer of makeup before heading out the door.

In this lifetime, Lucy was born in a small merchant city called Acalypha in the nation of Fiore. In her last life, she was born and raised in Alvarez, the neighboring country. She was currently living her fourth life, so she knew the procedure by now.

During Lucy's second life, she was adamant on getting close to anyone, feeling as though she was betraying her previous family and friends. The notion stuck with her, and she was only able to make a few friends over the next three of her lifetimes. So far, she had only made one friend during this lifetime, a snarky, petite girl by the name of Levy.

Reaching the smoothie shop, Lucy breathed a sigh of relief once she felt the cool air from the air-conditioning. It didn't take long to find Levy as her hair was a bright shade of blue. She was sitting in the far corner, away from everyone else.

"Lu-chan! I got your smoothie already!" Levy said, waving her down.

Lucy nodded at the other girl and grinned ear-to-ear. "Thanks, Levy-chan. How was work?"

"Oh, the usual. I just spent my time reading." Levy worked as a librarian's assistant, re-shelving books and managing check-outs.

Levy was a nice girl. They had met at the library she worked in and bonded immediately over their love of books. Lucy didn't know much of the other girl's home life, but she knew that she had a boyfriend, Gajeel, who for some reason hated her guts.

Gajeel was a menacing guy with long locks of unruly black hair. His skin was covered in piercings, enough to make Lucy wonder how he managed at airports. Added to his piercings and wild hair, the guy was also much taller than her, looming over her with ease and staring down at her with his intimidatingly red eyes. Not to mention his muscles were bigger than her head.

All in all, she couldn't see how sweet, innocent Levy could be with someone as scary as Gajeel, but she didn't question it.

"So, did you ever hear from the university?" Levy asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

"Oh, yeah. I got in," Lucy answered with a shrug. She wasn't really interested in which school she attended, she only chose this one because Levy was there, and it was close to home.

"That's wonderful, Lu-chan! We need to celebrate!"

"Ehh, it's fine. I don't think it's that big of a deal."

"That big of a deal? C'mon, Lu-chan! You only go to college, once! This is a big step!"

Lucy sighed and turned her gaze out the window. " _Only once, huh…"_

Being reincarnated took the excitement out of life. Things that were supposed to be exciting became routine. It was a curse, one she had wanted to escape from.

She hoped this life would be her last.

"Lu-chan?" Levy called out, her brows drooping in concern.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was spacing out," Lucy replied, forcing a smile to her face. "Anyways, tell me more about-"

"Levy," a familiar, gruff voice called out.

Lucy squeaked and sat straight as a board, nervously turning her head to face Gajeel. The boy moved his gaze from Levy towards her, downright glaring at her.

" _Seriously, what did I do to make this guy hate me so much?"_ Lucy wondered, awkwardly chuckling.

"Let's go," Gajeel said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"But Gajeel-!"

"No buts. Erza told me to get you and I'm not going back to that demon empty-handed."

Levy sighed, turning towards Lucy with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Lu-chan. I have to go now."

"It's fine," the blonde assured, waving her off. She wasn't exactly in the mood to hangout anymore anyways.

There was something strange about Levy. Lucy couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something off about her. As close as the two girls seemed to be, they never shared any intimate secrets or hung out for long periods. Even though Levy knew where Lucy lived, Lucy had no idea where Levy spent her days when she wasn't at school or work. And Gajeel was always the one to take Levy away, glaring at Lucy as he did.

Still, everyone was allowed to their own secrets. Lucy knew she sure had her own.

* * *

"I don't see what your guys' problem with Lu-chan is," Levy said, crossing her arms over her chest. Her brows slanted with irritation, upset that her time with Lucy was cut short yet again.

"Yes you do, you just choose to ignore it," Gajeel replied, opening the grand doors to Fairy Tail. There, everyone waited inside at their usual table in the far corner away from everyone else.

"Okay, fine. But Lu-chan is a really sweet girl, you could at least be a little nicer to her."

Gajeel scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You know being nice to mortals just gets you hurt."

Levy huffed and walked towards the table. Erza, sitting at the head of the table, gave her a pointed stare through her scarlet bangs. The girl had always been strict and adamant on speaking to the mortals, never trusting them. Not that anyone could blame her after her traumatic childhood.

Jellal sat beside her. While he, too, was wary of mortals as he shared the same past as Erza, he wasn't as stout as the girl. Still, he warned of the dangers of getting to close to them, saying that they led different lives.

Across from the pair sat Natsu at the other end of the table. He was scarfing food down his throat, never one to care about who associated with who. Sure, he didn't associate with the mortals just as the others, but his reasoning was different. He was fine with the friends that he had and didn't see the need in conversing with anyone else. Besides, he preferred hanging out with people that understood him.

On the side opposite of Levy and Gajeel sat Gray and Juvia. The two were similar to Natsu, in that they knew good mortals existed but preferred to stick to what they knew. What they were comfortable with.

That just left Levy.

"I thought I made it clear you should stop associating with that girl," Erza said. Sighing, she continued, "You're the smartest one here, Levy. You should know better."

"But Lu-chan is really nice and she's a good person," the blue-headed girl protested meekly. "She would never do anything to hurt us."

"And what happens if you get too close? She'll notice that you don't age eventually."

"I don't know… I don't want to hide from the mortals anymore."

"What are you saying?"

"It's not that I'm going to go show the world that I'm immortal or anything. I just don't want to cut out the thought of making new friends. Lu-chan is nice, and I think you guys would like her too."

Erza sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to make any progress with Levy. Though her body was small, her resolve wasn't. Besides, as strict as she was, she didn't want to police people's lives and strip away their freedoms. Not after what she'd been through.

"Just be careful, alright?" the redhead requested.

Natsu watched as Levy nodded and with that, the conversation steered into more normal topics. He didn't understand Levy's fascination with the mortals. Sure, he wasn't scared of them or anything, but wasn't it better to hang out with people who shared your circumstances?

Natsu leaned back in his chair and took in his surroundings. At first glance, it would look like any other pub- Magnolia was full of them. But in truth, it was home to many immortals, trying to live the best lives they could.

Having an infinite life wasn't all cracked up as people thought it to be. Sure, it was cool to watch his wounds heal themselves as refusal to let him go, and it was nice to be able to spend every day with his friends. But only few were cursed with being immortal.

Natsu tugged at the ends of his scaly scarf wrapped around his neck. It was lonely at times, watching as the mortals lived their lives and grew up with those close to them. Making friends was damn near impossible, which was why the boy was glad Makarov found him and brought him to Fairy Tail in the first place.

Unfortunately, it was their turn to go to school. Fairy Tail members took turns going to school to prevent anyone from finding out their secret. Immortals had to wait one hundred years before they could return. By then, everyone they had met in college before would have passed away and been replaced with fresh teachers and students that would have no chance at recognizing them.

Immortality didn't leave Natsu and the others much freedom in life. It was like a curse that haunted them every day, following them around as their shackles.

Natsu glanced down at his scarf, the corners of his lips curling downwards into a frown. Just as he did every day, he wondered what it was like to die. Not that it mattered. He would never find the answer.

* * *

 **AN:** So what do you guys think? Please let me know lol. I feel like this story is more angsty than my other stories, And writing about reincarnation/immortals was something I wasn't interested in before and for some reason here I am? Lmao. Well, please leave a review and I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** I haven't started a new story in a while, I forgot how long it takes for things to pick up lol. The chapters will get longer, I promise! Well, here's chapter 2! :D

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Chapter 2

First Encounter

Summer break went by in the blink of an eye. All over Magnolia, students moved with sluggish steps, hauling their bookbags over their shoulders. Magnolia was a big city full of students trying to better their lives, not that Lucy could relate. She simply did what was expected of her, knowing that it didn't matter what she did in the end since she would eventually die and start anew someday.

Though Lucy hated reincarnating, she had to admit that it had some plus sides to it. For starters, each life was an opportunity to learn from. Plus, she had the chance to make countless of friends. The only issue was Lucy didn't have the motivation to do either of those things.

With a heavy sigh, the girl grabbed her bag and headed out of her apartment. The walk to school didn't take long as her apartment was in the center of town. Lucy's eyes widened a fraction as she drunk in the sight of all of the students pooled together on campus, moving together like a colorful sea. So far, this school was the largest she had been to, and also the most selective.

Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, Lucy fished it out to find a text from Levy.

"Hey, I'm in class!" it read.

With nimble fingers, she texted back, "Save me a seat, I'm almost there!"

Lucy was glad that Levy was in one of her classes. After all, the girl was her only friend in this lifetime. She was even more glad that Gajeel wasn't in the class.

Classes at their school counted for a lot of credits, letting Lucy get away with taking only three classes but still being considered a full-time student. Unfortunately, her classes were all spread out through the week, so she still had class five days a week like the high schoolers.

" _I just have to get through two classes today,"_ Lucy thought as she reached the door to her first class. It wasn't that she hated school, but after living four different lifetimes, everything grew repetitive. At least this class was related to writing, her one and only passion.

"Lu-chan!" Levy called out, waving her over.

Lucy smiled and took a step forward before realizing that there were three chairs seated to a desk, meaning that someone else would share a table with her and Levy. She turned her gaze towards the person seated by Levy. It was a boy with bright blue hair similar to Levy's and he had a strange, maroon tattoo on his face.

Lucy took the other seat beside Levy.

"Ready for your first day of college?" the petite girl asked, skillfully wiggling her eyebrows. It was a trait that Lucy had attempted to learn to do but could never master.

The blonde awkwardly chuckled. "Y-Yeah, my first day!" Truthfully, she had attended college all four of her lifetimes, so nothing was new to her. Nothing ever would be new to her. "I just hope the class really let's us write whatever we want."

"Well it is a creative writing class, so I would assume they would. I don't have any confidence in my writing, but I'm excited to read your stories, Lu-chan!"

Lucy's face flushed and she waved her hands in front of her face. "M-My writing isn't any good yet! I'm not a professional or anything!"

"But you will be!" Levy assured, winking at her. "And I want to be your first reader so I can brag to people that I was the first to read Lucy Heartfilia's story!" Before Lucy could reply, the boy sitting next to Levy cleared his throat, gaining their attention. Levy laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce you!"

Lucy arched a brow. "You two know each other? Oh, is he your brother? You two do look alike!" Even their eyes were the same color.

"Everyone thinks that, but no we aren't related. This is Jellal, my friend."

The boy gave Lucy a nervous grin, which she returned with one of her own.

"How do you two know each other?" she asked.

"We have a mutual friend," Jellal answered. "My wife, actually."

"Oh, that's nice. Are you into reading or writing, too?"

The boy nodded, though that was a lie. In truth, Erza had forced him to join the class that Levy had with the mortal she had been hanging out with all summer. He was supposed to watch over their friend and make sure she didn't say anything that revealed too much, and that the mortal wasn't going to hurt Levy.

Once the clock struck ten o'clock, the professor entered the classroom. It was an older gentleman, too overdressed to be teaching a college course as he was wearing a full tuxedo and, oddly enough, shades over his eyes. If the heat was bothering him he didn't show it, his features calm and collected.

"Good morning, everyone," he greeted, setting up his desk. "You may refer to may as Capricorn. Pull out your notebooks, we're starting with a twenty-minute writing session."

A student in the front of the room raised their hand. "What's the prompt?"

"You may choose for today. Just make sure it is interesting enough for the whole class to read."

Lucy swallowed thickly, her stomach churning. " _I hope he doesn't really intend to make everyone read their stories out loud in front of the whole class!"_

Lucy chose to work on the story she was already working on at home. It was about a young girl who meets a young boy in a world of magic and go on adventures together, all the while getting to know each other and eventually falling in love. She was very frustrated when she made so much progress in this story in her last lifetime just to end up dying and have to restart.

"Time is up. Using the class' roster sheet, everyone is already assigned a number," Capricorn explained. "Here, I have a cup full of popsicle sticks with everyone's number. Everyday, we will spend twenty minutes writing and I will select five people at random to read what they've written and I will critique it."

"In front of the class?" a student asked.

"Of course. That is the kind of feedback that you will most remember."

Lucy paled, praying to whatever god was out there that she wouldn't be picked. It wasn't that she thought she was a bad writer or anything, she just wasn't the best either. She didn't want people to read her work when she was still an amateur.

Luckily, she made it through the day without having her number called on. She felt bad for the unfortunate ones, but figuring that she dealt with the misfortune of reincarnation, she felt they could take one for the team this time.

* * *

Once class ended, Lucy waved goodbye towards Levy and even Jellal before heading to her next class. Of course, her class just so happened to be on the opposite side of campus, and she was only given a ten-minute walking period before her next class started. Luck just really wasn't in the girl's favor.

Sweating and gasping for air, Lucy reached her next class in the nick of time. She wasn't exactly the athletic type, and it was biting her in the ass now. It was funny, no matter what life she lived, she never bothered trying to be sporty.

Lucy glanced around the room, finding that it was decently sized with about thirty students or so. Not particularly looking forward to this class at it was just a basic requirement, the girl headed towards the back of the room where she hoped she would never make an impression.

" _Why do we need to take math classes?"_ she wondered, resting her head in the palm of her hand with a sigh. " _Not everyone wants to be a mathematician."_

Just as the bell rang, the teacher entered the classroom, a scowl plastered to her face. She was a beautiful woman seemingly in her late-twenties with strikingly blue hair, lighter than Levy's and slicked back neatly out of her face. She was in great shape as well. The only bad feature Lucy could see was the clear anger she displayed in her face.

The professor's eyes glazed over the room, pretty much glaring at everyone. With a scoff, she said, "Listen, brats. I'm not one of those professors you can get chummy with, so don't even try it. I'm here to do my job and if you don't like it, leave. I don't give a damn. My name is Aquarius. We aren't going to do any of those bullshit games where you introduce yourself and state your hobbies, because I don't care. I'm going over the syllabus now, pay attention."

Lucy swallowed thickly, knowing that this professor was going to be a pain in the ass. Aquarius pulled up a slideshow with the syllabus, about to elaborate when the door burst open. Everyone turned their heads to find two boys fighting to get through the doorway first while calling each other weird, obscene names.

One was a raven-haired boy who was admittedly pleasing to the eyes. He had a lean body and his abs were made noticeable due to the fact that his button-up shirt wasn't even buttoned up. Lucy wondered if he would get in trouble over it, but didn't think too hard about it.

The boy he was shoving to get inside was in Lucy's opinion, even more attractive, though definitely weird at the same time. With pink tufts of hair, he stood out like a sore thumb among other students. Sure, almost everyone at school had crazy colored hair, but she had never met a boy with pink hair.

This boy dressed strangely as well, wearing baggy white pants and a long vest with only one sleeve. Lucy's eyes were drawn to his revealed abs, as he wore nothing under his opened vest. Her gaze trailed down his abs, towards the hem of his pants before her face flushed with heat and she forced her gaze up to the boy's eyes. They were a deep onyx color but held a hint of playfulness.

In the blink of an eye, whiteboard markers were thrown at the two's foreheads, causing them to yelp.

"Sit. _Down_ ," Aquarius ground out, her eye twitching in annoyance. There was nothing she hated more than obnoxious brats.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" the two replied in unison. So far, their professor was reaching Erza-levels of terror.

Lucy's eyes made contact with the pink-haired boy as he surveyed the room for an empty seat. There just so happened to be two empty seats to the right of her, and the two were rushing towards the back to sit by each other despite fighting just before class.

Lucy stared at her desk, not wanting to be rude by staring at the cute boy who was pulling out the seat right next to her. Strangely enough, the air warmed up around him as if he was a portable heater with legs.

Aquarius cleared her throat, signaling for class to begin. As the professor went over the syllabus, Lucy released a quiet breath and began to write in her journal again, working on her story. She could do without listening to the syllabus, they were all the same.

Natsu suppressed a groan, bored out of his mind but knowing that he couldn't make his feelings apparent, lest he want their demonic professor to assault him with another marker. He hated that it was his turn to go back to school. Some people, like Erza and Levy, couldn't wait for the cycle to rotate so that they could go to school. He, on the other hand, hated it.

It was a boring, coma-inducing waste of time.

The only reason he went was because he didn't have a choice. Their leader, Makarov, argued that in order to keep up with the ever-progressing times, some of them would have to go to school while the others stayed hidden. So, in order to always make sure that there were immortals enrolled that wouldn't be caught, they created a cycle system.

And Natsu's turn just so happened to be now.

Consciousness was escaping Natsu as Aquarius went over her attendance policy, and man was she ruthless. She only allowed students one excused absence before docking two percent off of students' final grades. Not that it really mattered in his case since grades weren't really important.

Having the feeling that Aquarius would strangle him if she caught him sleeping, Natsu tried his best to keep his eyes open. Everything was just so _boring._ Glancing to his left, he found the blonde sitting next to him writing extensive notes.

" _What the hell could she be taking notes on?"_ Natsu wondered, resting his head in the palm of his hand. " _It's just syllabus day. What a weirdo."_ He studied her writing closer, finding that it wasn't about class at all.

 _Elie the celestial mage dashed out of her apartment, tears clouding her vision and streaming down her cheeks as she ran. Yet no matter how fast her legs moved, there was no catching up to Haru, as he was already gone in the wind, the letter he left behind serving as a reminder that she was all alone._

 _"You can't leave me, idiot!" she called out, her words meeting no reply. "Don't you know I'll be lonely!?"_

Natsu arched a brow.

" _So she's writing a story?"_ he thought, his lips twitching upwards in a lazy smirk. He wasn't exactly the reading type, but with nothing else to do, he drowned himself in the writings of the stranger sitting next to him. And if he was being honest, it was actually quite interesting.

" _Man, that Haru guy is an ass for leaving Elie."_

Without him even realizing, the rest of class went by in a flash. Natsu frowned as the journal he'd been discreetly reading had shut closed. In the corner of his eye, he watched as the blonde shoved the journal into her bookbag before standing up. Her scent washed over him, a mixture of strawberries and honey.

As the girl turned to leave, the two made eye contact. Natsu's eyes widened a smidge at the sudden eye-contact, not having expected to be met with such big, chocolate-brown eyes. Warmth rose to his cheeks and he whirled his head away to hide it, not understanding his body's reactions to the girl.

Lucy's heart thumped loudly in her chest. The cute boy sitting next to her was looking at her and she couldn't help but feel some sort of validation from that. She knew that she was pretty, she wasn't ashamed to admit it. But the boy next to her was drop-dead gorgeous.

Before she could get caught ogling him, Lucy shook her head slightly and went on her way past him and out the door.

* * *

"So? How was your other class, Lu-chan?" Levy asked before bringing the straw to her lips and relishing in her mango smoothie.

Lucy shrugged. "It was boring, but I got the chance to work on my story so it wasn't a complete waste of time."

The petite girl rolled her eyes. "Tell me the interesting stuff! Were there any cute boys?"

Lucy flushed, thoughts of the pink-haired boy from earlier flashing in her head. "I-I guess there were a few."

"Did you talk to them?"

"Of course not! Math class isn't exactly a dating seminar, Levy-chan!"

Levy laughed. "I guess you're right. But it would be cool if you got close to one of them so that we could go on double dates!"

Lucy scoffed, crossing her arms. "As if your boyfriend would allow it. He avoids me like I'm the plague."

"Gajeel's just a little… hard to open up," the other girl said with a nervous chuckle. "But he'll come around eventually!"

"Whatever you say. Anyways, I better get going home now. It's our first day and yet I'm already slumped with homework thanks to my math professor," Lucy sighed. The two girls said their goodbyes, and the blonde began her journey back home.

Her friend's words replayed in her head.

" _It would be cool if you got close to one of them so that we could go on double dates!"_

Lucy wanted to laugh at the thought of having a boyfriend. Though she would never admit it to anyone, the girl was pretty unexperienced for someone that was living their fourth lifetime. Sure, she had held hands and kissed a certain boy before, but that was way back in her first lifetime and she hadn't gotten close to a boy since.

In truth, she avoided boys. She'd always been a hopeless romantic, picturing herself to meet her soulmate and grow up with them, one day having a family and growing old with them. Unfortunately, things weren't like a fairy tale for her. Either she would die and her partner would move on and she'd have to start anew, or they would die, leaving her alone. With reincarnation in her life, she didn't have a true soulmate like the rest.

Lucy wished there were others like her. Others that could reincarnate so that no matter how many times they died, they would still find their way to each other. Sure, she knew of one other person dealing with the same circumstance, but they weren't exactly close, though she was a nice girl that brought comfort knowing that she wasn't the only one.

Breathing a heavy sigh, Lucy unlocked the door to her apartment and entered the lonely home. Maybe one day in the future she would allow herself to indulge in other's company, even though it would bring nothing but pain. But for now, she was content on her own.

* * *

 **AN:** Alright, so a few people have been wondering if Natsu and Lucy met in another life and the answer is no, as the title of this chapter implies, this is their very first time meeting! :)

ALSO, just as a warning, this story is going to be pretty dark with some heavy topics ahead. I'll post trigger warnings when necessary, but just thought that I should say in advance so that people can back out now if they feel they should! I know I typically write a bunch of happy, lighter stories but this one's different! (Will still have a happy ending tho.)

Thank you very much to the wonderful people that reviewed: **Lucy the queenofstars, NaluPrincess, Rein Serenity, Lunar13, Lunacross777, MasterGildarts, Alexa60765, Tohka123, sassykitten1701, Mannyegb, KatanaNoNeko, stranger1999, Guest, Madabelle, FlameDragonHime, Juvia is my spirit animal, fairytaillif3, Mandapandaa, Nalulove, Soul Eater Maka.** And thank you to those who followed/faved as well! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Hello everyone! Hope you guys are still liking the story so far! Next chapter is when the chapters start getting longer and when things start picking up! :D

* * *

Chapter 3

Chemistry

Beer, cigarette smoke, and boisterous laughter hit Natsu the moment he approached Fairy Tail. With a toothy grin plastered to his face, the boy happily waltzed inside, dodging chairs and bottles that were being thrown in one of the daily brawls. He'd definitely join in later after he had his fill of Mira's cooking.

Fairy Tail was run by a family that knew about and associated with immortals. The founder, Mavis, was an immortal herself, one of the first ones to discover her immortality. She and her friends of mortals traveled the world, searching for people like her to bring them to a safe place. With their connections, they managed to make Fairy Tail a home for those that lost theirs over the vast years.

Mavis handed Fairy Tail over to her friend, Yuri Dreyar, who was a mortal that cared about the wellbeing of everyone while she continued her journey to find more immortals. Once Yuri died, control went to Makarov, who was the current leader as of now.

People were born as immortals, but it wasn't passed down through genes. It was just an odd strike of luck- though, it was usually considered a curse to the people affected themselves. Mortals could give birth to immortals, and immortals could give birth to mortals, there was no guarantee.

Natsu didn't find out he was immortal until he was around forty years old, as he had stopped aging at roughly twenty-one. For the first few years, he had assumed that he had gotten his good genes from his father, Igneel. But once he was surrounded by his fellow forty-year-old friends, their faces adorning wrinkles while their hair was starting to grey, he knew something was off, but he couldn't put a finger to it.

He never expected the answer to be his body never aged. That is, until Makarov found him and explained the whole situation to him.

" _My boy, just how old are you?" Makarov had asked._

 _Natsu arched a brow at the old man who had approached him seemingly out of nowhere. "Huh? I'm forty, why?"_

 _"Surely you realize that you don't look it."_

 _Natsu frowned, shoving his hands in his pockets. It was admittedly something he had been wondering about a lot. "So what? I got good genes." He moved to walk past the old man, when he froze at what he said next._

 _"Have you ever considered the possibility of immortality?"_

 _Sharp laughter cut the air, Natsu peeling over and clutching his stomach. "Oh man, you're senile! There ain't no such thing!"_

 _"If you believe that to be true, then go ahead and keep going about your day," Makarov said, giving him a hard stare. "But if you are hesitant as to why your body never grows or why your wounds heal at miraculous paces, come with me. There are others like you. You aren't alone anymore, boy."_

Since then, Natsu was introduced to the world of the immortals. He learned of the networks, Fairy Tail, even more about himself.

Immortals all had what they referred to as their death day, the day that they stopped aging. Of course, nobody knew for sure what their death day was, considering that it was impossible to pinpoint the exact moment they stopped aging. But they could roughly guess the age at which their features stopped evolving.

In Natsu's case, it was around his low twenties, same as Erza and the others. Mavis' was in her mid-teens. Laxus', Makarov's grandson, was in his mid-twenties. There was no specific reason for people's death days, it was all arbitrary.

Natsu followed his friends behind the counter where only immortals were allowed. Past a hallway, there was a set of stairs leading to the large basement, full of pool tables, lounging areas, a large kitchen, and plenty of other amenities. The top floor was a coverup, a way to make money to help feed the immortals while the basement was for the immortals that couldn't roam around with it being too risky of a time period.

Though it sounded cruel to be stuck in a basement, it wasn't too bad. The people had plenty of friends and things to do to occupy themselves. Plus, they could leave the basement and go upstairs once the pub closed.

Cana sat at a table, clutching a barrel of booze to her chest. She had been an immortal longer than Natsu and the others.

"Oh, how was your first day of school?" she asked, her words slurred and her cheeks pink from the alcohol.

"Pleasant," Erza answered with a content smile. "Though I do wish professors went over more than the syllabuses on the first day."

"Nerd," Natsu muttered beneath his breath. A dark shadow loomed over him, his lifeforce seeping out of him under the harsh glare that Erza was giving him.

"Care to repeat that?"

"N-No, ma'am!"

Everyone laughed at Natsu's misfortune, save for the boy himself, who crossed his arms with a huff.

"Is Levy out with her friend again?" Mira asked, cooking up food in the kitchen.

Gajeel scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yep. Shrimp never learns, and she's supposed to be the smart one."

"I actually met this _Lucy_ girl today," Jellal announced. Everyone's heads whipped towards him, but he didn't fluster under the attention. "I sensed no malicious intent from her. It seems she's just a college student with a love for writing and books, which is probably why Levy took such a liking towards her."

Natsu's ears perked at the word 'writing', reminded of the girl he sat by in class and the story she was writing. Part of him couldn't wait for Friday so that he could read more of it. That is, if she continued to slack off from school and write more.

"I don't care what she's like," Gajeel retorted. "I don't trust her. There's something off about her, I just don't know what it is."

"I understand your suspicion towards mortals but-"

"That's not it. Yeah, I don't trust mortals, but I _especially_ don't trust this one."

"Why?" Erza questioned, her need to protect flaring for their friend. "Has this Lucy girl done anything?"

Gajeel rubbed the back of his head. "Nah, not exactly. But there's something about her. If you met her, you would understand. It's just, whenever I look her in the eyes, it feels like she's hiding something."

"Perhaps we should all meet this girl."

"I don't know how Levy would feel about that," Cana said, wiping alcohol off of her chin. "She'll probably know that you're going to interrogate the girl. Probably scare her off in the process."

Erza shrugged. "Perhaps that's what's best."

"I think it's good that Levy has a friend she is close to, even if it is a mortal," Mira argued, her signature, pleasant smile glued to her face. "If Levy does agree to bring her friend, I want you all to be on your best behavior, got it?" Her face barely changed, but her smile suddenly felt sinister, like that of a demon.

"Fine," Erza agreed, crossing her arms. She glanced towards Gajeel. "Well? Think you can convince Levy to invite her friend over so that we can all see if she's a threat?"

The boy nodded. There was no way he was going to let his girlfriend dive too deep with the mortals and get hurt the way some of the others had. Some scars were too deep.

* * *

Sunlight filtered through Lucy's curtains that Thursday morning, to which the blonde tried to avoid by shoving her face in her pillow. As if on cue, birds began chirping their morning melodies, only making things worse for the sleepy girl. Knowing there was no chance of her going back to bed, she rose in a slouching position, glaring at the wall in front of her. She wasn't a morning person.

Glancing at the alarm clock that rested on her nightstand, Lucy's eyes widened, a gasp escaping her lips as she scurried out of bed. Her ankle was tangled in the sheets, so she ended up tripping and falling face-first onto the floor, but she ignored the pain and quickly got ready for school. Waking up late on the second day of school wasn't what she had in mind.

Her golden locks were thrown in a messy bun on top of her head and her clothes were haphazardly thrown on. Lucy frowned, knowing that she didn't have time to eat breakfast before bolting out the door.

Reaching the classroom just in the nick of time, Lucy collapsed in the nearest available seat and laid her head on the desk, not paying attention to who else was sitting at the table with her.

"Oi, why're you here?" a familiar voice questioned, quite rudely she might add.

Lucy swallowed thickly and dragged her gaze towards the harsh voice. Immediately, she was met with crimson eyes that felt like they could turn her to stone. "G-Gajeel. I didn't know you were in this class."

"Got a problem with it?" the boy asked, crossing his arms and giving her a look that could freeze all of hell.

"N-No, of course not!" Lucy glanced around the room, searching for another table she could sit at. It was clear she wasn't welcomed there, and she didn't want to spend the entire quarter by someone that hated her guts. Finding one in the opposite corner of the room, the girl rose. "W-Well, I'll just go-"

"Nonsense," a girl at the table interrupted. She was mesmerizingly beautiful with long locks of scarlet hair, her bangs sweeping to the side to cover one of her eyes. "You're welcome to sit anywhere you'd like. Ignore Gajeel."

"You two know each other?"

"Unfortunately."

"Oi! Why'd you hafta go and say that!?" Gajeel barked, though he went unheard.

Lucy, having a feeling that it would be rude to turn down the redhead's offer, slowly sat back down once again. With it being a chemistry class, they were in a lab with stations that had two chairs on both sides and then one on the end. She was sitting at the end of the table and felt like the odd man out.

To her left were Gajeel and the redheaded girl and to her right was a couple. It was obvious they were a couple with how the girl was clinging so tightly to the boy's arm. She had wavy blue locks of hair and was dressed for the winter, despite the warm weather. She had fair skin and her lashes were dark and noticeable. She was stunning.

Lucy's eyes widened and her mouth parted as she glanced towards the boy. To her surprise, it was the same boy that was late to her math class yesterday. She recognized his scar that ran along his forehead, not to mention the fact that his shirt was unbuttoned yet again.

"Hey, we're in math together," Lucy said, facing the raven-haired boy.

His browsed raised, recognition lighting in his eyes. "Oh yeah. You're the one that sits next to-"

"Love Rival," the girl next to him interrupted through clenched teeth. Her grip on the boy's arm tightened as her eyes shot daggers at Lucy.

"Th-That's not it!" the blonde denied. She really should've just moved to the other table.

"Ignore them, too," the redhead said with a sigh. "You must be Lucy." She could tell by the way Gajeel acted with her.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. How do you know my name?"

"We're friends with Levy."

At that, Lucy's features lit up. "Oh, really? That's great!"

"I'm Erza. This is Gray, and this is his girlfriend, Juvia. And you're already acquainted with Gajeel."

Erza studied Lucy. In truth, she seemed like a nice girl, but looks could be deceiving. She learned that the hard way. Now, there wouldn't be a need to have Levy invite Lucy over to Fairy Tail. Through dumb luck, she could watch over the peculiar blonde herself.

"Yo!" a sudden voice rang out. Everyone turned towards the front of the classroom to find a man in his mid-twenties strolling towards the professor's desk, placing his bag down. He was a peculiar looking man with red and white hair split perfectly in the middle. He wore a red button up shirt with a large collar, though just like Gray, he opted to leave quite a few buttons undone. "I'm Scorpio. This quarter, we're gonna be learning about chemistry. We are!"

" _He's kinda weird,"_ Lucy thought. " _But at least he seems nice."_ She couldn't say the same for her last professor.

"Hope ya like where you're sitting, because from now on that's your assigned seat. We're gonna be doing a lot of group projects and it's just easier if everyone works with the same people every time."

Lucy suppressed the urge to sigh. She didn't want to work with Gajeel, or his friends for that matter, even if they were also Levy's. Aside from Erza and perhaps Gray, she didn't get a very warm welcome. The other two kept glaring at her the whole time, not even bothering to be discreet about it. Despite what class they were in, she did _not_ have chemistry with these people at all.

Luckily, the class went by quickly as Scorpio used the time to go over the syllabus, as most teachers do on the first day of class. Lucy quickly packed her things and gave a hesitant nod as farewell to her new deskmates. With that, she was out the door.

Grabbing her phone, Lucy typed a quick text to Levy, careful so as not to trip or bump into anyone.

"So I met some of your friends today."

The reply she got was instant. "What? Who?"

"Erza, Gray, and Juvia. And Gajeel was there too. Turns out we have chem together."

"That's perfect!"

"Maybe for you but not for me. Juvia called me her love rival the entire time and Gajeel was being his normal lovely self."

"Sorry about that. Juvia is overly jealous and I try to talk to Gajeel but he's a hardheaded idiot."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh aloud at that text. Though Gajeel was a huge ass towards her, she thought his relationship with her best friend was quite entertaining. She found their bickering way more endearing than other couple's lovey-dovey statements. She momentarily wondered what she would be like if she had a boyfriend before shaking her head and staring at her phone again.

"It's okay. Maybe I can finally win him over now that we see each other twice a week!" Lucy texted back.

"How about we make it three times this week?" Levy replied. "Why don't you hang out with us tomorrow! It's a Friday, so I know you don't have to rush to do homework!"

Lucy stared blankly at the text. Hang out? With Levy's friends? "I don't know, Levy-chan. I had some stuff planned for tomorrow."

"You're a horrible liar, Lu-chan. C'mon! Hang out with us! It'll be fun! Please do it for me?"

Lucy sighed, knowing that she couldn't turn her down now. "Alright. Only for you, Levy-chan."

"Yes! You and I can go get smoothies after school and then I'll bring you to where we all hang out!"

"Where's that?"

"Fairy Tail!"

* * *

 **AN:** So Lucy's school schedule is creative writing with Levy and Jellal and then math on MWF and chem with the others on TR! Hope you guys liked the chapter! Also I really love reading your guys' theories on this story omg. Some of you are really good guessers lmao I was shocked. But tell me some more theories you have I love reading them! :D

Thank you to those that reviewed: **Rein Serenity, stranger1999, MasterGildarts, Guest, shootingstarssel (x2), Alexa60765, Tohka123, MissVarta, Kauia, Nalulove, Mannyegb, Soul Eater Maka, Firefly9917, ThaDesparado64.** You guys are really kind. :')


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while I was on vacation but I'm back now and ready to write! :D QOTD: Would you rather reincarnate or be immortal in terms of my story? I would personally rather be immortal. :) Hope you guys like this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 4

Fairy Tail

Lucy pursed her lips in thought as she stared at the options in front of her. Her alarm clock had just rung and she was currently looking for the perfect outfit to wear. She was going to be hanging out with Levy's friends later, and though she was embarrassed to admit it, she did want to look good for it. After all, first impressions were everything, and when it came to half of Levy's friends, she was already failing in that department.

Gajeel and Juvia hated her guts- unfairly, she might add. Gray, Erza, and Jellal seemed nice, but there was something about them that made them seem a bit… _cold._ It was as if they were meticulously watching her every movement, judging everything she did.

So, Lucy wanted their next encounter to go well. It wasn't that she particularly wanted to be friends with them or anything, but she didn't want to make things awkward for Levy. Levy was her best friend, and it was obvious that she really wanted this to go well. So, Lucy was going to try her best.

Which meant choosing the perfect outfit.

"Maybe I shouldn't dress so provocatively today," Lucy said with a slight frown. Then again, she didn't want to hide who she was even more than she already had to. Throwing caution to the wind, the blonde grabbed a white tank-top with a blue cross and a matching blue miniskirt. To finish her look, she tied her long golden locks of hair into a side ponytail and threw on black knee-high boots. With that, she quickly finished getting ready and was out the door.

* * *

"Good morning, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted the moment Lucy walked into the classroom.

"Morning, Levy-chan!" she replied with a warm smile. She glanced towards Jellal and nodded her head towards him. "Good morning, Jellal."

"Good morning, Lucy," the mysterious boy replied.

Lucy took her seat beside Levy and grabbed her notebook and favorite pen. This was by far her most favorite class, as it allowed her to express herself through her favorite pastime. In Lucy's first life, she had dreamed of being an author one day, publishing stories that the world loved. It wasn't that she wanted fame, but she did want her books to be well-known. She wanted to be one of those authors that got messages from fans that said her books changed their lives.

Unfortunately, reincarnation stole that dream away from her.

Lucy had died in her first life well before she could even think of publishing a book, but it turned out it was for the best. If she had been published and grown to be a well-known author like she wanted, then her face would easily be recognized by those like herself that had a strong love for reading. With reincarnating in the same body every time, it didn't matter if twenty-or-so years passed, people would still recognize her as being an author.

It was too much of a risk. If somebody recognized her, surely they would try to burn her at the stake or treat her like some lab rat. So, Lucy made the tough decision of throwing away her only dream in order to keep herself safe.

To put it shortly, it sucked. Writing was the one thing she enjoyed and she couldn't even live up to her full potential thanks to her stupid curse. Creative writing classes and writing in her private journals was as far as she could go.

"Lu-chan? Earthland to Lu-chan?"

Lucy blinked, suddenly being drawn out of her depressing thoughts by Levy's hand waving in her face.

"Huh?" she asked.

"I asked if you know what you're going to write for today's free write," Levy replied

"Oh. I'm going to continue working on my story!"

Levy nodded, watching as Lucy tapped her pen against the desk and waited for their professor to arrive. There was something odd about her blonde friend. It seemed she was always zoning out, and there were many times it seemed she was in a bad mood but she never explained why. Levy wanted to help cheer Lucy up, but whatever was on her mind was always bothering her.

Finally, Capricorn entered the classroom and promptly began class.

* * *

Once class ended, Lucy rose to her feet and shoved her belongings into her backpack. She had running-induced torture ahead of her so that she could make it to math class with her demonic professor in time.

"Wait, Lu-chan!" Levy said just as the blonde was about to leave. "Let me walk with you!"

Lucy was curious as to why Levy wanted to walk with her but nodded anyways. "Sure, let's go!"

Levy was practically jogging beside the blonde, her short legs struggling to keep up with her friend's strides. Once they were far enough from Jellal, she decided to speak.

"Don't forget about our plans," she said. "You and I are getting smoothies when you get out of math class and then we're going over to Fairy Tail so you can get to know my friends better."

"Trust me, I wouldn't forget," Lucy replied, suppressing a sigh. Every part of her wanted to back out of their plans but she pushed through for her friend. "I'm really anxious about it."

"Don't be. I know they're a bit rough around the edges but they're nice. They're family to me. Well, I could understand your uneasiness with Gajeel and Juvia, but give the rest a chance!"

They reached the door to Lucy's next class. She turned towards Levy and gave an uneasy grin. "Okay. For you I will."

"Thank you, Lu-chan! You're the best!" the petite girl exclaimed. "Good luck in math! I'll be waiting here when you get out!"

Lucy nodded and said her goodbyes before entering the classroom. She headed towards the back of the classroom to her same spot from before. Images of the pink-haired boy popped up in her head, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

" _I wonder if he'll sit by me again,"_ Lucy thought. " _He really was cute."_

The girl shook her head, forcing those thoughts to the back of her head. She told herself she wouldn't date anymore, there was no point in daydreaming about herself with some stranger. Plus, there was no way a guy like that was single- unless his personality was complete garbage. But something told Lucy that wasn't the case.

Just before the class started, the pink-haired boy stumbled into the classroom, alongside Gray. He scanned the room again, his gaze landing straight on her. Lucy nearly flinched from the sudden eye-contact and her face erupted with heat.

Lucy couldn't help but feel giddy as the boy walked towards the back of the classroom. Her heart raced and she hoped he would sit by her again, though she would deny it with her dying breath. To her delight, the boy pulled out the chair next to her again and sat down. The smell of a toasty campfire filled her nose. It was an unusual scent to have, but she found herself enjoying it.

Soon enough, Aquarius entered the room and it was time to begin class. Lucy paid attention at first since it wasn't syllabus day anymore, but after finding that the lecture was going over really easy stuff- she had learned it for the past three lifetimes, after all- she decided to pull out her journal and write instead.

Natsu's lips twitched upwards into a smile as he watched the blonde sitting next to him pull out her journal. There was more writing in it since Wednesday, but he didn't mind. Reading her work was way more interesting than learning whatever the hell he was supposed to be learning.

Resting his head in the palm of his hand, Natsu studied the girl beside him. Her golden hair was tied into a side pony, long enough to splay onto the desk. Her eyes were a warm shade of brown, making him feel as though he was swimming in pools of chocolate. It was clear she was concentrating on her writing with how her tongue would occasionally jut out as she thought of the right word.

All in all, she was very pretty.

Despite what Natsu's friends thought, the boy wasn't dense when it came to girls. Or rather, when it came to their looks. He knew which girls he found attractive- hell, he was surrounded by lots of pretty girls at home. But whenever it came to relationships with girls, he supposed he was a bit dense.

Whenever a girl was interested in him, everyone except for Natsu would notice. The girls would drop not-so-subtle hints that Gray or Gajeel would try to convince him was flirting, but he never saw it that way. He just thought they were being friendly. Until they would confess.

Then Natsu would become an awkward mess. And he usually wasn't the awkward kind, but he couldn't help it when he had to turn down someone.

In all of Natsu's excruciatingly long life, he had only had one girlfriend. But it didn't last long or mean anything at all. In fact, the furthest they went was a one-sided hug. He was curious what a relationship was like and he wanted to show Gray and Gajeel that he would be a good boyfriend. But after finding that he really didn't like the girl, he ended their relationship not even a week after it had started.

Natsu shook his head slightly, dragging himself out of his thoughts. Focusing on the girl's story again, he found that Haru was finally reuniting with Elie after his year-long training mission. There was tension between the two characters, Natsu couldn't help but feel drawn in.

Once class ended, Natsu frowned as the girl closed her journal and shoved it into her backpack. Now he wouldn't be able to read her story until Monday, who knew what would happen in the story by then.

Natsu looked up at the girl's face. There was a slight frown on it. She took a deep breath, as if anxious about something. Then, she walked away without even sparing him a glance, not that he really expected her to.

"Oi, let's go, Flame Brain," Gray said. He was already packed and ready to go.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Natsu quickly shoved his belongings away before following Gray out the door and towards Fairy Tail.

* * *

Just as Levy had promised, she was waiting outside of the classroom for Lucy. Without missing a beat, the two girls were happily on their way to their favorite smoothie shop.

"Just be yourself today," Levy said as she sat down at their signature table.

"I will," Lucy replied, stirring her straw in her drink. "So why don't you tell me about your friends before I meet them? That way I know what to expect."

"Of course! You met Erza. She's really strict but she's a very caring person. She just wants the best for everyone. She can also be really scary, but deep down she likes a lot of girly things!"

"Really? She doesn't look like she would."

"That's because she's embarrassed of it because she thinks it doesn't suit her, so she tries to hide it. But I've seen her looking at frilly dresses many times."

"Oh. Tell me about Gray now," Lucy said. She was starting to get interested. Even if things went wrong today, she could surely use their personality traits for some new characters in her story.

"Oh, he's really nice," Levy replied. "Well, to most people. He's pretty mean when it comes to Natsu and the other boys, but he's nice to the girls! He's got a stripping problem, though."

"Stripping problem?"

"He can't help but strip. Don't ask me why, because even though he's explained it to me a million times, it still doesn't make any sense. Anyways, he's dating Juvia, who you've also met. He's more on the cooler side I guess."

"What about Juvia?" Lucy asked, sweat dripping down her face. That girl was terrifying.

"She's a total sweetheart!" Levy exclaimed. With an awkward chuckle, she continued, "If you give her time, that is… She really loves Gray and is super protective of him so she gets really jealous of other girls. Don't worry, she's called me Love Rival in the past too. But once you get to know her, she's a really sweet girl! A little awkward, but in an adorable way!"

Lucy couldn't help but not believe her friend. She just couldn't believe that the girl that spent the entire class period glaring at her and calling her names was actually a sweetheart. But she didn't say anything, not wanting to upset Levy.

"Oh, I'm curious about Jellal," Lucy said instead.

Levy smiled. "He's probably one of the nicer ones in our group."

"He does seem really kind."

"He is! He's quiet, but very caring. Just like his wife, he wants the best for everyone. He's mature and understanding. He doesn't have any weird quirks like Gray or Juvia that I can think of off the top of my head."

"I think he's my favorite of your friends so far."

"There's only one friend left to describe," Levy said. In truth, she wanted to introduce Lucy to all of her friends, but the rest of them were living in the basement of Fairy Tail, where no outsiders were allowed. Their existence was supposed to be kept secret at the time. "You haven't met him yet. His name is Natsu."

"Natsu?"

"Yep! And he's single, by the way," Levy added, wiggling her eyebrows. Not that she could ever see Natsu dating anyone, especially not a mortal. That relationship just wouldn't end well.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Levy-chan! Stop teasing me!"

The girl laughed and nodded. "Alright, alright. Anyways, Natsu can be like Gajeel. He's really mischievous and honestly he's got a real childish vibe to him. He's a lot of fun to be around because of it. He's always fighting with the rest of the guys, that's their thing. He eats a _lot_ too _._ He's a pretty unique guy."

"Sounds like it," Lucy replied.

"Anyways, ready to go?"

"W-What? Like right now?"

"Yep! No time like the present! Let's go, Lu-chan! It's time for you to meet the gang!"

* * *

They stopped outside of a pub. It wasn't in the best of shape with some of the letters in its sign burnt out and paint chipping off of the wood, but Lucy didn't mind any of that. She'd seen worse. What was odd was how large the building was for supposedly being just a bar.

As Levy opened the door, Lucy's stomach started to do cartwheels. She was so nervous, she started to feel a little sick. Following closely behind her petite friend, the girl took in her surroundings. There were a lot of drunk, rowdy people. Some people were even throwing things at each other and fighting. In truth, she wanted to run out of there.

" _Am I even allowed to be in here? I'm only twenty."_

Reaching a table far away from everyone else, Lucy saw a distinct head of bright blue hair, recognizing it to be Jellal. As they approached the group, everyone turned to look at them and their jaws immediately dropped to the floor. They stared at Lucy as though she was a mutated lifeform from another planet sent to destroy them.

Erza watched her every move, as if stalking her pray. Jellal was shocked, but he didn't seem too upset. Across from them sat Gray and Juvia. The former gave a stiff nod while the latter began cursing profusely under her breath. On the adjacent side sat Gajeel, who was giving her a look that could freeze all of hell, and beside him sat a boy she was not expecting to see.

Next to Gajeel sat the pink-haired boy from her math class. He was staring at her with a parted mouth and slightly widened eyes, clearly recognizing her as well. Lucy immediately began to flush from the attention, especially from the pink-haired boy.

" _I should've known he'd be friends with Levy-chan! He's always with Gray, and Gray is friends with Levy-chan!"_

Erza cleared her throat, trying to recover from her minor heart attack. Levy hadn't told them that she would be bringing Lucy to Fairy Tail of all places. That was the home of the immortals. Their safe haven. Levy compromised their safety by bringing her random friend, and she was going to have to be punished for it later.

"Welcome, Lucy. _Levy,"_ Erza greeted, giving Levy a sharp look that meant trouble. "What brings you here to Fairy Tail?"

Levy's skin paled but she stayed strong. "I wanted to officially introduce Lu-chan to everyone."

"I see that. Perhaps a warning would have been nice."

Lucy fiddled with her hands and stared at the floor. It was clear she wasn't welcomed, but she didn't expect them to be so… distant. She didn't belong around them.

"H-Hi, everyone," Lucy greeted meekly.

"Here, sit down, Lu-chan!"

Lucy followed Levy's lead and sat down beside her, directly across from the pink-haired boy who couldn't stop staring at her.

"Lu-chan, this is Erza. You already met her. And you're familiar with Jellal, Gray, and Juvia too. And you of course know Gajeel."

"Sadly," Gajeel remarked, still glaring at Lucy.

"Shut it, Gajeel!" his girlfriend shouted. "A-Anyways, this is Natsu. I don't think you two know each other."

"Actually, we do," Lucy corrected. "We sit by each other in math class."

Natsu stared at the blonde in front of him. So, Levy's mortal friend was the weird girl that wrote stories? What were the chances of that? He studied her features, unable to help himself from frowning. She was obviously unhappy, probably because of how the others were treating her. He couldn't exactly blame them, but he did feel bad for her.

"Hey! Nice to meet ya!" Natsu said, giving her a wide grin. Lucy looked up at him with wide eyes, a smile breaking out on her face. That seemed to cheer her up a bit.

"It's nice to meet you too," Lucy replied. She could feel her cheeks starting to flare, she just hoped that nobody could see it. Not only was the boy cute, but he was also one of the only nice people there. He was the only one- besides Levy, of course- that didn't make her feel unwelcomed. "So, how do you like our math professor?"

"She's a demon! She's as scary as Erza!"

Erza narrowed her eyes at Natsu. "Oho? I'm scary, huh?"

"N-No, ma'am!" Natsu answered with a gulp.

Erza nodded before turning towards Lucy. "So, Lucy, tell us about yourself."

The blonde shrugged, not really sure what she was supposed to say about herself. It wasn't like she could bring up her reincarnation- though, that would definitely be an interesting conversation starter.

"Umm, I'm twenty years old and I'm from Acalypha," she said. "I'm majoring in English."

"Oh! For your stories?" Natsu asked with an interested grin.

"Huh?"

"You know, the stories you're always writing in math class!"

Lucy's cheeks flared as she sputtered, "Y-You saw that!?"

Natsu's smile grew and he shrugged. "Well duh. You sit right next to me. I read them too, you know."

"Th-That's an invasion of privacy!"

"Huh? How?"

"I-I don't know, it just is!"

Levy puffed out her bottom lip and crossed her arms. "I was supposed to be the first one to read Lu-chan's story."

Natsu gave a mischievous grin. "Well looks like I beat ya to it!"

" _Anyways,"_ Erza cut in, staring directly at Lucy. "Tell us more about yourself."

"Umm, like what?" the blonde asked.

"How did you and Levy meet?"

"Oh! We met at the library she works in! I go there a lot to read and she was giving me recommendations and we bonded over the books we like!"

"And what made you take this friendship seriously? What made you decide to hang out with her outside of the library?" Erza knew she was starting to sound ridiculous, but she needed to make sure the other girl wasn't out for their friend. She knew all too well what it was like being mistreated by mortals, she couldn't let Levy share that same fate.

Lucy gave Erza a quizzical look. "Umm, she was nice? And we have shared interests that we wanted to talk more about?"

"Is that all? You just become friends with any nice person that enjoys reading? It seems a bit unlikely to me."

Lucy didn't understand what was happening. Was she being interrogated for being friends with Levy? Why? Nothing was making sense. She hadn't done anything to these people and yet they were treating her like she was some criminal.

"Honey, maybe we should just be happy that Levy has made such a close friend," Jellal chimed in. He was afraid that Erza's persistent questions would just scare Lucy away, and if she truly was dangerous, they couldn't just let her go yet. Not to mention that part of him hoped Lucy was innocent. Levy deserved someone that she could relate to.

Erza gave him a sharp look before relaxing. "You're right. We're glad to have you here, Lucy."

"Juvia isn't," the blue-headed girl argued. "She's just here to try to steal Gray-sama from Juvia!"

Instead of denying that she was after a boy that she barely knew, Lucy instead focused on Juvia's interesting quirk. "Whoa. You speak in third person!"

Immediately, the other girl's eyes widened and she shut her mouth. It became obvious that her speech patterns were a sensitive subject not to be brought up, and Lucy just trampled all over the unspoken rule.

"Yeah? You got a problem with that?" Gajeel snapped, glaring at Lucy. Juvia had often been bullied for talking in third person, he wasn't going to let some mortal get away with it right in front of his face.

"N-No! I was just a bit surprised!"

"If you don't like the way Juvia talks, then maybe you should just leave! We don't want your kind here anyways!"

Lucy shut her mouth, her throat painfully constricting. Her eyes pricked with tears. Rising to her feet, she murmured, "You're right, I should go." Turning towards Juvia, she bowed slightly. "I'm sorry if I offended you. That wasn't my intention."

Turning towards the exit, Lucy walked as fast as she could, hoping that she wouldn't break before making it out. She didn't want the others to see her cry, especially not Gajeel. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

But once she was out the double doors of Fairy Tail, she let her defenses down. The welled-up tears slipped freely down her cheeks as she brushed past people to go home. Thanks to Levy, her fourth lifetime was shaping up to be one of her favorites. Now, it was almost as bad as her second lifetime.

Lucy shook her head. Nothing could be as bad as her second lifetime, even with a random group of people hating her guts. Still, her heart ached in ways it hadn't before.

Levy turned towards her friends, her face scrunched in anger and her tiny fists clenched. She was absolutely sickened with her friends' behavior. But _Gajeel?_ Gajeel was walking on thin ice and was coming dangerously close to becoming single.

"How could you guys?" Levy demanded. "How could you treat someone like that? Someone that I like and wanted to introduce you guys to? Lucy is a sweet girl! She's my friend! And you guys might have just ruined that for me!"

"We did this for your own good!" Gajeel argued, slamming his hands on the table and rising to his feet. "You heard what she said to Juvia!"

"Oh shut the hell up, Gajeel! You all know damn well she didn't mean any harm by it!"

"Levy, I understand you're upset," Erza began in a calm voice, "but she is a mortal. She can't be trusted. They're monsters."

Levy gave Erza a harsh glare. It was the angriest they had ever seen the petite girl, and it was honestly terrifying.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you and Jellal with the scientists, okay? What they did was horrible and they were monsters, yes. But that doesn't mean that all mortals are evil! In fact, with the way you guys acted today, the only _monsters_ I see here are you guys."

Without sparing them another glance, Levy stormed to the back of the bar to go downstairs to the basement. She needed to be alone. At the moment, she couldn't even look at her friends.

Reaching her bedroom, she pulled out her phone and sent a barrage of text messages to Lucy, hoping that she would reply. She didn't want their friendship to be ruined just because her other friends were assholes. Unfortunately, Lucy never did reply, leaving Levy to pray that things were salvageable between them.

* * *

 **AN:** Poor Lucy, things didn't go so well. :') At least Natsu was nice to her!

 **WillVanry:** I actually didn't get this idea from The Seven Deadly Sins, as I have no knowledge of that manga whatsoever! Never read it! And honestly, reincarnation/immortal ideas have literally been pursued for EVERYTHING, so of course it's not 100% an original idea I guess? But I did come up with the backstories all on my own, so yeah I would say it's pretty original. Thanks for the review! :D

Thank you for those that reviewed: **Rein Serenity, mikislyfox, Fin-Fish Jun-Tenshi, shootingstarssel, Lunar13, Meow Orbit, ThaDesperado64, Guest, Guest, stranger1999, Alexa60765, Tisyaboi, rmadhumita378, EAsis, Cher, MasterGildarts, Nalulove, Mannyegb, KarinStalker24, Pizaano, Firefly9917, KatanaNoNeko, Kauia, Ace27gd, Compucles, Juvia is my spirit animal, Soul Eater Maka, WillVanry, Guest.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Hello everyone! I'm back with an update! :D A lot of you reviewed, which made me happy and I knew I couldn't keep you guys waiting too long! :') Also, I was surprised almost everyone said they would want to reincarnate instead of be immortal! Also, I was really glad some of you picked up on some foreshadowing I dropped. I'm usually not good at foreshadowing, so I wanted to try some more and some of you picked up something that is going to come up later on in the story! :D Anyways, here is another QOTD: Who is your absolute fav FT character? Mine is Lucy, of course! :D

* * *

Chapter 5

Smoothies

Lucy groaned as sunlight peeked through her curtains directly onto her face. Begrudgingly, she checked her phone for the time and was upset to find that she had to wake up in less than five minutes. Figuring there was no point in trying to sleep again, she forced herself out of bed.

The corners of Lucy's lips curled downwards into a heavy frown as she found nearly thirty unread texts from Levy. It was now Monday morning. The weekend had passed since Levy's friends sent her out of Fairy Tail. She was a sobbing mess after that. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Levy's texts, scared that they were all going to be angry sentiments about bringing up Juvia's speech-related quirk.

It wasn't that Lucy meant to offend Juvia. She was just genuinely surprised to hear someone talk in third person.

" _I never should've went. I just lost my only friend."_

With sluggish movements, Lucy finished getting ready for school. Each step closer to school caused her stomach to churn with anxiety. Even though the girl could avoid Levy's texts, she couldn't avoid seeing her in class. She had no choice but to face what happened.

Lucy stopped just outside of the classroom, taking a deep breath. Facing Levy was hard, but she couldn't just ditch class for the rest of the quarter. Swallowing thickly, the girl forced herself to push forward, entering the room.

Immediately, Levy's head whipped towards Lucy. The two girls made eye contact, their eyes wide. Lucy, feeling as though she was going to break down at any moment, tore her gaze away and glumly walked to a desk in the back, away from Levy and Jellal. There was no way she could just sit by them now that they hated her. With tears pricking her eyes, she picked up her pen and began to write, hoping that it would drown out her sorrow.

* * *

Once class ended, Lucy moved as quickly as she could to pack her things. She felt Levy's stare on her all throughout class. Even now she could tell that she was being stared at.

Grabbing all of her belongings, Lucy rushed out of the door without sparing Levy a glance. She took the biggest strides she could, trying to put as much distance as possible between them. Part of her expected- maybe even hoped- that Levy would call out to her or come rushing after her, but she didn't. If that wasn't a clear message, Lucy didn't know what was.

Now, she had to do it all over again in her math class. Wiping away the stray tear that managed to slip down her cheek during her walk, Lucy took a deep breath before entering the classroom. As usual, Natsu and Gray weren't there yet, and probably wouldn't be until right before class started.

Lucy glanced around the room, finding a table that only had one seat available. With a breath of relief, the girl sat there instead. Unfortunately, it was towards the front of the class, so she wouldn't be able to write without Aquarius catching her. But Lucy didn't care so long as she didn't have to sit by Natsu and Gray. That would've just been embarrassing.

Right before the bell rang, Natsu and Gray came stumbling in as usual. Lucy kept her gaze glued to her desk, not wanting to see them or be seen. Luckily, they went to the back of the room, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

" _This is going to be one stressful quarter."_

* * *

Natsu frowned, his onyx eyes boring into a head of gold sitting at the front of the class. Lucy was leaning her head on the palm of her hand, for once listening to Aquarius' lecture.

" _Now I can't read her story,"_ he thought, his frown deepening. It wasn't just that, though. He didn't like that the girl was sad, and he especially didn't like that it was because of his friends.

Last night was a total disaster. With Erza's interrogation, Juvia's snide remarks, and Gajeel's full-on yelling session, it was no wonder that Lucy ran out. Natsu felt bad for her. She didn't do anything wrong and she seemed like a nice person, she didn't deserve to be treated that way.

Natsu wished he had said something that night, but it was hard doing so when he knew why they were all so cautious to begin with. He felt that he couldn't say anything without trampling over their feelings by trudging up horrible memories. So, he silently watched as the girl ran out of Fairy Tail, clearly holding back tears.

Natsu also felt bad for Levy. This morning, she left for school without waiting for any of them. She hadn't spoken a single word to them either. None of them had ever witnessed her so angry before, they didn't know that she had a wrath that could burn all that came in contact with her.

Natsu couldn't imagine what is was like to lose a friend because of another. He knew he wouldn't have liked it, though. Glumly, he continued to stare at the back of Lucy's head, all the while wanting to cheer her up.

He didn't know what was motivating him to do so, but he had to try to fix things.

* * *

Once class ended, Lucy tiredly packed her things. Keeping her eyes awake during lecture was nearly impossible. All of the formulas and theories, it was all too much after a night of limited sleep.

Heading out the door, Lucy walked out of the building and onto campus. The University of Magnolia was a beautiful school paved with red bricks and surrounded by trees. There were also strange, geometric sculptures that, while Lucy couldn't understand their meanings, were pleasing to look at. Her favorite part of all, however, was the giant fountain that sat in the middle of campus.

Mid-step, Lucy suddenly felt a warm hand wrap around her wrist, gently pulling her to a stop. Turning her head, she was shocked to find Natsu was the one who stopped her. The corners of his lips were slightly tugged downwards into a frown and he struggled maintaining eye contact. He was nervous.

"Uhh, can we talk?" he asked.

Lucy looked away with a frown. "I don't know… I'm a little busy…"

"I'll buy you a smoothie if you want! One from that place you and Levy are always going to!"

Lucy studied the boy. He didn't seem to have any malicious intent. Not to mention that he wasn't one of the ones that were mean to her last night. Hesitantly, she slowly nodded.

"A-Alright. I can go for a smoothie."

The walk to the smoothie shop was uncomfortable. Neither of them said a single word or made any eye contact, walking too far apart to be considered friends. Hell, they were too far apart to even be considered acquaintances.

Once they reached the shop, Lucy ordered a strawberry-banana smoothie while Natsu ordered a green apple one. Lucy led the way to the table she always sat at with Levy. The fact that she believed she would never have another "smoothie-sesh" broke her heart.

"So… What exactly did you want to talk about?" Lucy meekly questioned, absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

Natsu frowned and looked away. "I wanted to talk about what happened last night."

"I said I was sorry, I-"

"I know. I actually wanted to apologize too. I'm sorry for not sticking up for you even though you didn't do anything. Erza and the others are just stubborn when it comes to… _new people."_

Lucy's eyes widened and her mouth parted. She wasn't expecting an apology. "O-Oh. Well, you don't have to apologize. You weren't the one that said anything mean."

"No, but I should've said something to them, especially that jerk Gajeel," Natsu said, scratching the back of his head. "I wanna make things right with you and Levy!"

"It's too late for that," Lucy mumbled. "She hates me now."

"You're way off on that!" Natsu said, giving her a wide grin. "You shoulda seen the way Levy yelled at everyone when you left! She's pretty pissed with everyone because she really wanted to introduce you to everyone and they blew it."

"Really?"

"'Course! Now c'mon! Text Levy and tell her to come here!"

"I-I can't do that!" Lucy cried. "I'm scared…"

"Scared?" Natsu repeated. "Of what? I already told you she ain't mad. What's there to be scared of?"

"I don't know… I guess I just don't want to cause more problems between Levy-chan and the others. She told me that you guys are like family to her. I don't want to do anything to mess that up…"

Natsu studied the girl. She was genuinely concerned about Levy's relationship with them even though they treated her terribly. Just how nice was this girl? Weren't mortals supposed to be evil forces not to be reckoned with? Did she really mean what she said?

Natsu was a good judge of character. He knew that Lucy was a nice person, but was she really _that_ nice? To be able to care for someone that wronged her?

There were no signs of dishonesty in her features. Natsu grinned.

" _She's really nice. Levy sure is good at finding good friends!"_

"Here, I'll stay with you the whole time," Natsu assured with a grin. "And trust me, nothing will separate Levy and the others. We are a family, just like Levy said."

Lucy couldn't help but blush from the sincerity in his voice and the way his eyes locked onto hers. "O-Okay." Grabbing her phone, the girl nervously typed up a quick text, asking for Levy to meet her in their signature spot.

In the meantime, Natsu did his best to comfort Lucy. He could tell that she was still anxious about seeing Levy, so he made it his goal to make her laugh.

"So, I saw that you couldn't work on your story during math today," Natsu said with a crooked smirk.

Lucy flushed. "I still can't believe you've been reading my story this whole time. But yeah, I didn't want Aquarius to catch me. She scares me."

"She scares me too. Just like Erza."

Lucy giggled. "You said something like that last night too."

"Because Erza is that scary," Natsu said, his skin paling. "Anyways, you gotta sit by me again on Wednesday. I gotta keep reading to find out what happens next! I'm hooked!"

Lucy's cheeks turned red. He wanted her to sit by him again? Could it be that she was making a new friend? Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Well now that I know you're invading my privacy, I won't be writing anymore in that class!"

"What!? But you have to! I need to know if Haru comes back for Elie!"

"Well you're never going to find out!"

"Oh yeah? I'll wait until the story is published if I have to!"

Lucy blushed again. She really had to learn how to keep her feelings in check around Natsu. Something about him was dangerous. She couldn't contain herself.

"You… You think that my story is good enough to be published?" she asked, her lips ghosting a smile.

Natsu gave her a face-splitting grin. "Well yeah! It's the only story that managed to keep me interested enough to want to read more!"

Tears pricked Lucy's eyes. It was one of the best compliments she had ever received, one that had an effect on her that Natsu would never know.

" _Does this mean that if I didn't have to deal with reincarnation, my stories would be good enough to be published?"_ she wondered, her feelings overwhelming. For lifetimes, she had always hidden behind her reincarnation as an excuse. Deep down, she believed that even if she wasn't reincarnated, her stories would never be good enough to make it out in the real world.

And yet, a boy that she barely knew was slowly giving her the confidence she had been missing for lifetimes.

"Can we… Can we be friends?" Lucy asked, her face set ablaze and her voice meek. It was her first time since her first life that she had asked someone to be her friend. What happened with Levy happened out of nowhere, and she thought it was just a fluke. She thought that making friends was too messy with her reincarnation, and that it was a betrayal to all of the dear friends she made in her first life.

But she didn't care about that when it came to Natsu.

Natsu's mouth parted as he stared at Lucy. It was clear that she was embarrassed, not used to this sort of thing. She probably didn't have that many friends to begin with. He couldn't see why, though. She was a really nice girl, and also pretty funny.

She was also really weird. But in a good way.

Natsu grinned. "Duh! I'm all fired up!"

Lucy gave him a dazzling smile, one that made his heart beat a little faster. Natsu ducked his face into his scarf to hide his blush, hoping that she couldn't see it. Luckily, Lucy seemed to be focused on something else, her gaze locked on the entrance where Levy was entering.

Levy was shocked to find Natsu sitting with Lucy. Dismissing it, she grabbed a chair from another table and dragged it towards theirs since Natsu was sitting in her signature seat. With a frown, she faced her dear friend.

"Lu-chan! I'm sorry about what everyone did last night!" Levy apologized, tears immediately welling in her eyes. "I want you to know I don't agree with anything they said! Especially Gajeel! I don't know what's wrong with him!"

"I know you don't agree with them," Lucy assured. Tears were brimming her eyes as well, happy that things were alright between them. "Well, I do now, at least. Natsu told me."

"Natsu?" Levy repeated, turning towards the said boy.

"Yeah. He asked me to get a smoothie with him so that we could talk about what happened. He told me about how you stood up for me. And I'm sorry too, Levy-chan."

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong!"

"I did! I shouldn't have avoided you in class today! I'm sure that hurt your feelings…"

Levy tackled Lucy in a tight hug, causing her chair to fall back and the two of them landing on the floor with a loud thud. They didn't seem to mind, though. Instead, they both smiled, glad that everything was back to normal.

Natsu chuckled at the sight of the two of them hugging things out on the floor. They didn't seem to notice, or perhaps care, that everyone else in the store was giving them funny looks. All that mattered was their friendship.

"So what are you going to do about the others?" Lucy asked, sitting back in her seat.

Levy huffed. "I'm not sure yet. I'm not on speaking terms with any of them at the moment."

"I don't want to ruin your bond with them, Levy-chan."

The petite girl sighed. "Don't worry, you won't. We all have fights sometimes, but we make up eventually."

"That's good," Lucy said with a smile. "Life is too short to be fighting with your friends forever!"

Natsu and Levy awkwardly chuckled, rubbing the back of their heads and replying in unison, "Y-Yeah, life is too short!" Levy continued with, "And we've only got one life!"

This time, Lucy awkwardly chuckled. "Y-Yeah! Just the one life!"

* * *

As the sun was beginning to set, the trio threw away their trash before heading outside of the shop.

"I should get going now," Lucy said, smiling at her friends.

"Us too," Levy replied.

"Do you two live near each other or something?"

Natsu and Levy shared a quick glance. In truth, they lived in Fairy Tail's basement, along with the rest of the immortals. But they couldn't tell that to Lucy, of course.

"Yeah, we're in the same direction," Natsu lied. He didn't like lying, especially to his new friend, but it had to be done.

"That's cool," Lucy replied. "Well then, I'll see you guys on Wednesday! Bye!"

"Later!"

With that, Levy and Natsu began their walk back to Fairy Tail.

"So, what made you want to talk to Lu-chan?" Levy asked, breaking the silence.

Natsu crossed his arms behind his head and shrugged. "I don't know. She seemed nice and she didn't deserve what happened. And I wanted to apologize too."

"For what? Unlike that idiot, Gajeel, you didn't say anything stupid."

"No, but I didn't stand up for her either."

Levy smiled at him. "Thanks for making this happen, Natsu. I'm not sure if Lu-chan would've talked to me again if it wasn't for you. Even if she wasn't upset with me, she's very stubborn when it comes to opening up and making friends. I'm sure she considered leaving me be and continuing about with her life."

"Really?" Natsu asked, arching a brow. It was kind of hard to believe after Lucy had asked him to be her friend after their second time hanging out together.

"Mhmm. Truthfully, I don't know that much about her. I probably know just as much as you do, and you've only really talked to her today."

"Do you think she's hiding something like the others do?" Natsu asked, frowning.

Levy cupped her chin. "I wouldn't say that she's hiding something. More like she doesn't want to bring it up." After being an immortal and living life for so long, it became easier to pick up on other people's feelings. "Whatever it is, I'm not worried about it. I'm sure she'll tell us soon enough."

Natsu nodded, though really he didn't know. He didn't know Lucy well, he didn't have a clue as to when she would open to him.

"Anyways," he began, "when are you goin' to talk to Gajeel?"

Levy's face scrunched up in irritation as she haughtily replied, "Whenever he stops being a stubborn jerk."

"You know he's just trying to look out for everyone in his own, stupid way, right?"

"I know, but he doesn't have to be so stubborn about it!"

Natsu chuckled. Levy only got annoyed when she was talking about Gajeel. Their relationship was amusing, amusing enough for him to briefly wonder what kind of relationship he would have with a girl.

"I would say don't be too harsh on him, but I'd rather you give that bastard hell," Natsu said, his lips forming a smirk.

"Trust me, I will," Levy assured.

Reaching Fairy Tail, they saw their usual friend group sitting at their table in the back, staring them down.

"Where were you guys?" Gajeel asked.

Levy gave him and the rest the cold shoulder, deciding to go down to the basement. Natsu stayed with them.

"We were hangin' out with Lucy," he answered nonchalantly. He could see everyone whipping their heads towards him.

"Why were you hanging out with her?" Erza questioned. She gave him a hard stare.

Natsu only shrugged. "Because she's interesting. And I had to make sure you guys didn't ruin Levy's friendship with her."

"That was the point!" Gajeel shouted.

"Maybe for you, but not for me. I don't mind bein' around mortals or anything. And if Levy trusts her, then so do I. You guys really gotta have more faith in her. She's the smartest one here, you really think she wouldn't be able to tell if someone was a threat to her?"

"She's too trusting!"

"Nah. You guys are just too stubborn."

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I actually agree with Ash for Brains for once," Gray chimed in. "You guys literally chased Levy's friend out of here in tears."

"Because she deserved it!" Juvia argued. "She's a Love Rival!"

Gray rolled his eyes. "You gotta stop being so jealous. How many times do I have to tell you, there are no love rivals. I'm not saying you have to be friends with her, but just stop acting so harshly. I mean it, Juvia."

The girl crossed her arms with a huff. "Fine. Juvia will stop being mean to Love Riv- _Lucy._ But Juvia will not be friends with her!"

"You guys are idiots!" Gajeel yelled. "Are we really going to risk Levy's safety over some naïve friendship? Mortals are the enemy!"

"Perhaps it's time for us to rethink that notion," Jellal countered. "Makarov is a mortal, but we trust him inexplicably, correct?"

"Well, that's different!"

"Who's to say that Lucy isn't a trustworthy mortal as well? Makarov isn't the only mortal we've known that is trustworthy. Fairy Tail itself was built with Mavis and her mortal friends who wanted to protect her and others like her. There are plenty of good mortals, some of us have just been too blind to see it."

Erza tensed, knowing that he was also referring to her. "Do you trust her, Jellal?" She trusted his senses more than anyone else's. If he trusted the mortal, she would try to do the same.

"I do," the boy answered with a nod.

The redhead sighed. "Alright. Then I suppose we shall make amends tomorrow." It wasn't going to be easy to change her ideals, but she would try her best. She would still keep a close eye on Lucy, but she would tone it down.

There was a loud slam as Gajeel shot out of his seat, sending it crashing backwards on the hardwood floor. His face was etched with fury. "Screw that. You guys are blind idiots. You'll see. That mortal is hiding something."

Natsu glared at Gajeel. "Grow up already, Lug Nuts. Everyone but you already agreed to lighten up."

"And you guys will regret it. You shouldn't trust a mortal. I'm going to uncover the truth about that girl and show you guys that I'm right. I ain't apologizin' for shit."

With that, Gajeel stalked away from the group, down to the basement. Natsu had hoped he could make everyone onboard with being friends with Lucy, but this was a pretty good start.

* * *

Lucy smiled, staring up at her ceiling and holding her phone to her ear. Once Levy got home, they agreed to talk on the phone. It was their first time having a real conversation on the phone, and so far it was proving to be fun.

"So, are you going to tell me about your story since you're letting Natsu read it?" Levy asked. Lucy could practically see her wiggling her brows.

"I'm not letting him read it. He just started reading it on his own apparently," Lucy corrected.

"You could at least give me a sneak peek! Since I'm not going to be your first reader and all anymore."

"Ugh, fine. Well, the story is about a couple of wizards who join a wizarding guild and go on fun adventures together."

"Okay, now you _have_ to let me read it! You know I love adventure stories!"

Lucy laughed. "You're going to have to wait! Same with Natsu!"

"At least it's even," Levy replied. "Speaking of Natsu, I'm glad that he fixed things between us."

"Me too. That was really nice of him."

"One could even call it cute."

Lucy rolled her eyes and groaned, her cheeks turning red. "Quit trying to set me up, Levy-chan!"

The said girl snickered. "Sorry, sorry! I can't help it! I've just been dying to go no a double date with you!"

"Well too bad! I am not dating!"

"Hey, Lu-chan, you don't have to tell me or anything, but is there a reason you're so against dating? I can understand if it's to focus on school or something, but you're really smart and you said you always get good grades, I think you can relax a bit."

A frown graced Lucy's face. "It's not that…"

"Did you have a horrible past relationship?"

Lucy thought about it. She wouldn't say that her past relationship was bad. She couldn't see it going very far as she believed they were better off as friends, but it was fun while it lasted before she died.

"I wouldn't say that," Lucy answered. "I just… I don't know how I'm supposed to act. I don't have much experience, so I guess it scares me."

It wasn't the _full_ truth, but the answer was good enough. At least she didn't lie.

"I can understand that," Levy replied. "Thanks for telling me."

Lucy's cheeks turned red. "I may not date, but I do think some boys are cute. Remember when you asked me if there were cute boys in my math class?"

"Oh yeah! You said there were a few, if I remember correctly."

"I did. Well, the ones I was talking about were actually Natsu and Gray. This was before I even knew that they were your friends. How crazy is that?"

"Oh, so that's your type, huh?" Levy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You like the lean, tone guys."

Lucy thought back to her first boyfriend. He did fit the description. "Huh. I guess that is my type. I never noticed. And your type is tall, bulky, punkish looking guys."

Levy laughed. "Yep! Anyways, who do you think is cuter?"

"Levy-chan! That's a weird question!"

"No it isn't! Everyone has their own tastes! I would say Gajeel is the cutest, Juvia would say Gray is the cutest, and I'm assuming you would say _Natsu_ is the cutest?"

"H-How did you know!?"

Levy laughed again. "I could just tell. When I saw you two together, you looked like you were having a good time, so I kinda thought you might've been into him."

"Well I'm not _into_ him! I just think he's cute! And nice! And funny."

"You sure you're not into him?"

Lucy blushed from head to toe. "I don't even know him, Levy-chan!"

"So?" the other girl replied. "Attraction happens fast, and some researchers say that you can tell from your first meeting if someone suits you or not."

"Don't bring science into this! A-Anyways, I have to head to bed now. I have class tomorrow."

"Aww. Okay then. Goodnight, Lu-chan!"

"Night, Levy-chan!"

Right before Lucy end the call, Levy said, "Have a sweet dream about you and Natsu! Bye!" And then she hung up.

Lucy groaned, covering her face with a pillow. It was embarrassing talking about that sort of thing, but it was also really fun at the same time. She knew she didn't like Natsu or anything, but it was fun to talk about.

She wasn't looking for anything romantic. She had just decided to expand her friend circle, after all. But maybe one day, she would let herself try again at relationships. And to her expense, a certain pink-haired boy popped into her head.

" _Levy-chan is making me think all sorts of weird things."_

* * *

 **AN:** So Lucy doesn't really like Natsu yet, but she might have a little crush. ;) Can you blame her? Even I'd have a crush after that. :') AND YAY THEY'RE FRIENDS NOW! :D Hope you liked the chapter! Had a lot of nalu bonding in it! ALSO, WE'RE ALREADY OVER 100 REVIEWS! YAY! :D For that, here's a sneak peek of the next chapter:

 _Lucy flinched from his harsh words but turned away from him and smiled at the rest of the group. The only way to beat a bully was to completely ignore them, taking away their power. In the corner of her eye, she could see Gajeel huff, probably because she was still smiling instead of running out in tears like she did last time._

 **Meow Orbit:** I do not have an updating schedule anymore. I used to have one when I had more freetime, but eventually I got too busy and couldn't keep up with it and it made me feel bad when I couldn't make it in time. So now I just write when I can and update as soon as I can! :)

Thank you to those that reviewed: **Meow Orbit, stranger1999, Mannyegb, Mandapandaa, Rein Serenity, Guest, Guest, rmadhumita378, OtherFrost, JustAnotherFan14, sweet opposition, shootingstarssel, MissVarta, WhatAnimeHasTaughtMe (x2), Guest, TheOGFTfanatic, MasterGildarts, valerioux, KatanaNoNeko, Lunar13, Kauia, Guest, vaneanime, Alexa60765, Cher, ThaDesperado64, KarinStalker24, FairyMaster23, randommess1, OneLivesAgain, itsxoi, Firefly9917, Soul Eater Maka, Nalulove, Gigi-San28.** You guys KILLED IT with the reviews! Each one made me extremely happy and mushy on the inside thank you very much. :')


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Don't have a lot of time to proof read because I got called into work, but I still wanted to post today! So if there are some typos, i'm sorry! Hope you enjoy the chapter anyways!

* * *

Chapter 6

Amends

It was finally the day that Lucy had been dreading: Tuesday. It wasn't that she particularly minded Tuesdays in general, but it was going to be the first time she saw Levy's friends- save for Natsu- since they chased her out of Fairy Tail and made her cry. Sure, she saw glimpses of Jellal and Gray, but she didn't sit with them. And thanks to Scorpio's assigned seating, she had no choice but to sit with them today.

Lucy wasn't too upset with Gray or Jellal. They didn't say anything rude to her, after all. But she did believe that they hated her after she supposedly made fun of Juvia's speech habit. Seeing them was still going to be hard.

That wasn't even as bad as seeing Juvia, Erza, and Gajeel, though. Juvia wouldn't stop saying snide remarks about her while Erza interrogated her like she was some criminal. And _Gajeel?_ Well, he didn't even bother trying to hide the fact that he hated her as he straight up yelled at her in front of everyone.

Lucy groaned, heading out of her apartment. Well, there was no avoiding it forever. Science classes in college had insanely strict attendance policies, she couldn't afford to miss a single day.

Reaching the classroom, she took a deep breath before heading inside. Sure enough, the group was already sitting there, staring her down. Gajeel and Juvia were even glaring at her.

" _Looks like nothing's changed,"_ Lucy thought, her feet feeling like stones as she walked towards her seat.

Gray glanced at Juvia, finding a glare resting on her face. Lightly nudging her, he reminded her that she was supposed to be nice, and that nice people don't glare at others. Begrudgingly, she let her face relax to one of neutrality. That was good enough for him.

Lucy's feet felt heavy like bricks as she approached their lab station. Refusing to meet any of their gazes, she opted for staring at the desk. She had never felt more awkward in her life as she sat down.

"Lucy," came Erza's voice calling out to her.

The blonde didn't look up at her.

Erza sighed. She could understand why she was being ignored, but it was making things harder to apologize. And if she didn't make amends with Lucy, she feared that Levy would never speak to her again.

It wasn't that Erza trusted Lucy now. No, a person can't change their ideals so easily. But during her life at Fairy Tail, she had slowly started to police others without wanting to. She didn't want to take away people's freedom like the scientists did with her. She just didn't want to see Levy get hurt. So, she was willing to compromise. While she would be nice to Lucy, she would also watch her to make sure she wasn't going to betray them in any way.

"Lucy, I wanted to say that I'm sorry," Erza tried again. This time, Lucy met her gaze. "It wasn't right of me to be so persistent with you last night. It wasn't very friendly of me, and friendly is how I should have acted since Levy was introducing me to a dear friend of hers."

"O-Okay…" was Lucy's reply. She wasn't sure what to say. She didn't quite forgive Erza yet, so she didn't really accept the apology. But she didn't want to make things hard between them and Levy.

"Juvia is sorry too," the blue-headed girl chimed in after being nudged again by her boyfriend. "Juvia can be… _overprotective_ of Gray-sama."

"I'm sorry too," Lucy replied sincerely. "I didn't mean to offend you last night, but I did. I'm really sorry about that."

Juvia's eyes widened. Lucy was apologizing to her? In truth, she didn't really have a reason for apologizing. She didn't make fun of her for talking in third person, after all. If anything, Juvia was pretty rude herself last night. Perhaps this girl wasn't as bad as she thought.

Juvia turned her gaze to the desk and mumbled, "I-It's okay." Her feelings were a jumbled mess at the moment. On the one hand, she didn't like Lucy because she considered her a rival. On the other hand, she did seem nice.

"I'm sorry too," Gray added. "I probably shoulda said something once things started to get heated."

"I-It's okay," Lucy replied, rubbing the back of her head. "You didn't say anything bad, so I don't mind."

Everyone turned towards Gajeel, who had his arms crossed over his chest and an irritated look on his face. It was now his turn to apologize, but they didn't see that happening any time soon. He was stubborn as a bull.

"Quit lookin' at me, expecting me to apologize like the rest of these idiots," Gajeel said, glaring at Lucy. "I didn't do anything wrong."

Lucy flinched from his harsh words but turned away from him and smiled at the rest of the group. The only way to beat a bully was to completely ignore them, taking away their power. In the corner of her eye, she could see Gajeel huff, probably because she was still smiling instead of running out in tears like she did last time.

"Alright, apology accepted," Lucy said, smiling at everyone. "We'll forget last night ever happened and start fresh. But just a heads up, you guys can't talk to me like that again. I won't be so forgiving next time."

Erza nodded, understanding the terms. "Great. Let's make this quarter a good one, Lucy."

* * *

Class went by in the blink of an eye. Lucy grabbed her things and was about to head out when Erza called out to her.

"Lucy," she said, stopping the girl in her tracks. "Would you like to come to Fairy Tail with us? Levy will be there. Oh, and Natsu will be there as well. I forgot you two are close as well."

A blush dusted Lucy's face as she quickly shook her head and waved her arms around in the air. "I-It's not like that! I wouldn't say we're close! We're just friends, I swear!"

Erza arched a brow, her lips twitching upwards into a smirk. If that wasn't the most obvious display of feelings in the world, she didn't know what was. " _So, Levy's friend has a little crush on our Natsu, hmm?"_

That was interesting. It was also a bit relieving. It made Lucy out to be more of a real person, rather than someone who could potentially be a threat in Erza's eyes. After all, a threat wouldn't have showed such emotions towards one of them if they considered immortals below themselves.

It wasn't enough to completely sway Erza's distrust towards mortals, but it did help.

"I take it as a yes, you'll join us?" the redhead asked.

Lucy played with the ends of her hair, nodding. Her face felt like it was on fire.

Once everyone was all packed and ready to go, they walked as a group towards the apartment. Well, sort of. Lucy walked between Erza and Gray while Juvia stood on the other side of Gray. Gajeel took it upon himself to walk about ten paces behind them, obviously not wanting anything to do with her. Oh well. She didn't need to associate with him anyway.

"So, how did you guys meet Levy-chan?" Lucy asked, hoping to break the ice. There was an awkward silence, and she wasn't too fond of those.

"I met her through a mutual friend," Erza answered. She opted to leave out that their friend was actually Mavis, who found out Levy was an immortal and brought her back to Fairy Tail to meet the rest of them.

"Same here," Gray answered, having been there as well. He had been at Fairy Tail even longer than Erza. In fact, the only immortal that had a death day around theirs and was there before him was Cana.

"Juvia was introduced by Gray-sama," the blue-haired girl informed her. She was one of the latest additions to Fairy Tail along with Gajeel, though that happened many years ago. Mavis had given Gray the task of bringing Juvia to Fairy Tail. One look at him convinced her to go, as it was love at first sight for the girl.

Lucy hummed in thought. Glancing over her shoulder, she arched a brow at Gajeel. His bulky arms were crossed over his chest as he was glaring at her.

"Well, what about you? How did you meet Levy-chan?" Lucy asked in an attempt to get the angry boy to warm up to her. She felt that if she ignored his existence when he wasn't being rude to her, he would think that she was scared of him. She wanted him to know that she was fearless now. It didn't matter what he said to her anymore, she would just brush it off.

"That's none of your damn business," was the boy's reply.

Lucy shrugged and faced ahead of her again.

"Ignore that idiot," Gray said, shaking his head. "I introduced him to Levy too."

"Wow. I think it's cool how you all have a big friend group," Lucy replied with a smile.

"Have you never had one before?"

The blonde awkwardly chuckled. "Not for a while." Three lifetimes ago, to be exact. "I just don't really fit in with most people."

"Why not?" Erza asked, hoping that she didn't sound too pushy. She didn't want a repeat of what happened Friday night.

Lucy shrugged. "I'm not really sure why." Well, she was, but she couldn't just say it. "But the only person I've been able to form a real relationship with is Levy-chan. Before her, I just went home after school and focused on my writing. I'm not really into big parties."

"Really? I think they're pretty fun every once in a while," Gray said with a shrug. Though, unbeknownst to him, Fairy Tail parties were much different than regular parties. Not everyone fights in the middle of the dance floor just for shits and giggles during normal parties.

Arriving at Fairy Tail, Gray held open the door for everyone to go inside. Erza led the way towards the table all the way in the back, where Jellal, Levy, and Natsu were waiting.

Natsu didn't bother glancing up at them, too enthralled with his new game on his Nintendo Switch. That is, until he heard an unfamiliar voice he wasn't expecting to hear.

"Hi, guys!" Lucy greeted, hugging Levy, who ran up to her and tackled her in a hug as always. Glancing over her shorter friend's shoulder and at the device in Natsu's hand, she raised a brow. "Is that the Switch?"

Natsu set down the device immediately, not even bothering to pause his game as he glanced behind him towards Lucy. She wasn't wearing anything too fancy today, just some sweats and a light hoodie. Her golden hair was tied to the side in a ponytail. Even with the simple outfit, she was really pretty.

Natsu's cheeks turned pink, so he turned back towards him game to hide them.

"Yeah!" he answered.

"I've never seen the Switch before up until now," Lucy said, intrigued by the device.

"Really?" Natsu asked, arching a brow. He faced her again once his cheeks cooled down. "It's been out for a while now. Do you not play video games much?"

Lucy shook her head. "Not really. I have an old 2DS that I used to play all the time, but I don't anymore."

Natsu grinned at her. "You wanna play a game with me?" He tapped the empty spot beside him.

"You can have more than one player on that?"

"Yeah, you weirdo! The screens a little small, but it'll be fun! C'mon!"

Natsu saved his progress in the game he was playing before Lucy showed up, then changed the game to something both of them could play. Removing the small controllers from the sides of the device, he handed one to Lucy, who finally sat down next to him. Ignoring the small rush of heat that spread through him from their close contact, he propped the Switch up so that both of them could see the screen.

"Mario Kart?" Lucy asked, seeing the game's title flash across the screen.

Natsu flashed her a toothy grin. "What? Scared you're gonna lose?"

"No way! I used to be good at this back when the original Wii was cool!"

"What do you mean when it was cool? It still is cool! It's way more awesome than the new version!"

"I think so too! They shouldn't have changed it!"

Everyone else shared a glance that went unnoticed by the two, who were picking their characters. The two were hitting it off so well, it was surprising. Just before, Lucy seemed a bit closed off when she was walking to Fairy Tail with them. Now, she seemed relaxed as can be, having the time of her life.

Natsu was acting differently as well. While the boy always liked to have fun and had a rambunctious, fun-loving personality since the beginning of his endless life, he seemed like he was having even more fun around the blonde. It was clear he was interested in her- not necessarily romantically, though they assumed that was the case as well. But it was clear that he was becoming attached to her personality.

A wide grin spread over Levy's face, watching her best friend connect with another close friend of hers. Lucy was finally making a new friend, and she couldn't be any happier for her. Lucy had also disclosed to her last night that she had a crush on Natsu, making the situation even better.

" _I'm rooting for you, Lu-chan!"_

Natsu picked his favorite character, Mario. Peeking at Lucy's side of the screen, he saw her clicking on Rosalina.

"You're into Rosalina?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah! I like that she uses stars and whatnot. I actually really love stars, so I think it's fitting," Lucy answered.

"Really? I always thought that she was just another version of Peach made by Nintendo to try to make more money."

"Hey! Don't go calling my character a knock-off Peach! At least she isn't the most basic character! Seriously, who chooses _Mario_ of all people?"

"Oi! Mario is awesome! He shoots fireballs!" When it was time to pick their vehicles, Natsu chose the fastest one, not bothering to look at the other stats. Glancing towards Lucy's screen, he saw that she picked a slower bike. "It's like you're trying to lose!" he teased.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Your car is the one that sucks. I'm going to be winning this, you'll see."

"Levy must not have told you, but I'm the undefeated champion at this game!"

Gray burst out in laughter. "You're kidding, right?"

"Shut up, Popsicle Princess!" Natsu shot back, glaring at him. Once they were both ready, he started the tournament. He let Lucy choose the set of maps, unsurprised that she chose the set with the cutest selections.

"I like Rainbow Road, but these maps are really cute too," she said with a smile. It had been a really long time since she'd played video games. There were a bunch of new maps that she hadn't seen before.

"Who actually _likes_ Rainbow Road? Only psychopaths like Rainbow Road!"

"It's the prettiest map of the game!"

"Filled with deathtrap turns!"

Lucy game him a smug grin. "Probably because you don't have any traction."

Natsu glanced at the girl, enjoying this witty side of her. There were a lot of sides to Lucy, and he was interested in seeing them all. In a matter of days, she turned from being a stranger to a friend, a friend that he was growing attached to.

Once the timer started for the match, Natsu readied himself. Holding down the button for accelerating, he dashed away from the starting line, making his way to the front of the competition in an instant. Already he was in first place.

Then all hell broke loose.

A sharp turn came up ahead. Natsu tried to turn in time, but his vehicle ended up spiraling off the side of the ramp. Bots continued to pass him by as his kart was being put on the track. Once he started moving again, a red turtle shell hit him from behind, stalling him once again.

Lucy laughed being the one who threw the shell. Joy filled her gut as she passed Natsu's kart. Now she was in the lead.

"Oi! Get back here!" Natsu shouted, pushing harder on the button, hoping it would make his car go faster.

"Told you, Natsu. It's all about traction!" Lucy replied, making her way towards first place. They played for a few more seconds when a disgruntled sound came from her left, where Natsu was sitting. A flash of pink flew past her face before a foreign weight landed on her lap.

Lucy glanced down at her lap. Her face was set ablaze as Natsu's head was on her lap, mere inches away from a certain region of her body.

"What the hell are you doing, you pervert!" she yelled, dropping the controller. She had long forgotten about the game.

Natsu groaned, not paying attention to the blonde's shouts. "Feel… sick…"

"What are you talking about!? Get your head off my lap before I tear it off!"

Gray laughed at the two's misery. "Took him long enough!"

"Stop laughing and get him off of me!"

"He gets like this every time he plays that game," Levy said with an apologetic smile. "He has extreme motion sickness."

"But we aren't even in a car!"

"It doesn't matter. Looking at cars, being inside of a car, even _thinking_ about cars makes him sick."

"That is the weirdest sickness I have ever heard of," Lucy said. Her blush hadn't died down, but she tried to calm her racing heart. It wasn't every day that a cute boy collapses in her lap. "Why would you offer to play this game if you know it makes you sick?"

Natsu was glad that his face was a sickly green from his illness, knowing that he was going to blush from what he was going to say next.

"You wanted to play and this is the only multiplayer game I have," he answered, his speech distorted from his puffy cheeks.

Lucy smiled. Even though their game didn't last long, it was the thought that counted. And the thought was very sweet.

Wanting to do all that she could for the boy, she shyly brought her hands to his hair. She was hesitant to touch him, not knowing if that would make him uncomfortable, but she pushed her doubts aside. If he wanted her to stop, she would.

With shaky fingers, Lucy combed through his pink tufts of hair and massaged his scalp. She could feel him tense in her lap, but he didn't tell her to stop. Still, her nerves got the best of her, so she pulled her hands away from him.

"Sorry," she mumbled, embarrassed. "I wanted to help you feel better. I should've asked first."

"I-It's okay… It felt nice," Natsu replied. Electricity was coursing through his veins, not expecting her to touch him like that.

Lucy swallowed thickly, her blush hitting her full force now as she resumed combing through his hair.

Erza's eyes were wide as she watched the two. Her preferred method of helping Natsu with his motion sickness was knocking him out so he wouldn't have to deal with it. But here was this unknown girl, massaging him. Perhaps she wasn't as bad as she thought.

"So, Lucy, let's get to know each other," Erza suggested. "Of course, this time we shall do so in a less hostile way."

"Okay," the blonde replied. Somehow, looking at the serious glint in Erza's eyes and the arms crossed over her chest, she had a feeling she couldn't say no. She was still wary of talking about such things after what happened last time, but they agreed to put the past behind them and that's what she intended to do.

"Do you have any siblings?" the redhead questioned.

Lucy shook her head. "No, I don't." For most of her lifetimes, the girl had been an only child. She had a sibling, Michelle, in her last life. According to her last Facebook search of the girl, Michelle had been doing fine with a family of her own, even working towards some grandchildren. It was strange seeing her sister post yearly about her death, even though she was very well alive, her time had just been restarted.

It was hard being reincarnated. Her family and friends were usually still alive once she got to the age where she was able to look them up and technically be able to visit. But visiting them was impossible. She was always reincarnated in the same body, so they would all recognize her, wondering why she was still alive and looked the exact same.

Life just wasn't fair.

Lucy was quite fond of Michelle, even though part of her felt like she was betraying her first family by having a new one.

Lucy loved her first parents more than anyone in the world. They made her feel loved and welcomed. The parents she shared with Michelle were also nice, but Lucy couldn't return their love the way she should have been able to as their daughter. In this lifetime, her mother died when she was a young girl and her father was a wealthy business man that'd rather attend to his work than spend time with his own daughter. Not that she minded, though. He paid for anything she wanted so long as she stayed out of his way.

Lucy dug her nails into the palms of her hands as her parents from her second lifetime came to mind. Shaking her head, the girl forced those thoughts to the dark caverns of her mind, where she hoped those thoughts would stay.

She didn't want to think about that life.

Natsu raised a brow, noticing the way Lucy's fists were clenched by her sides, as his head was still in her lap. What was making her react in such a way?

"What about you guys?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side. "Any siblings?"

All of them shook their heads, save for Gray. The boy shoed his hands in his pockets, a frown settling over his face.

"I have a brother and a sister, but they both died a long time ago," he said.

Lucy frowned. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"Nah, don't worry about it. It's not your fault."

Before things could get too tense and awkward, Erza decided to switch subjects.

"You said you like writing. Is there anything else you like to do?" she asked.

Lucy cupped her chin in thought before shrugging. "Not really. I usually just write, read, or hang out with Levy-chan during my free time."

Natsu, finally feeling better, sat up and glared at her. "You haven't asked me to hang out with you."

"Huh?" Lucy asked. "We haven't even known each other that long! I just asked you to be friend yesterday, idiot!"

"So? You could've asked me today!"

"I didn't have to because I was coming here!"

"Then tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow what?"

"We hang out!" Natsu said, grinning at her.

Lucy blushed. "Hang out where?"

"I don't know."

"Well then don't offer!"

Natsu crossed his arms behind his head and gave the girl a pointed stare. "Not everything has to be planned, you weirdo."

"Don't call me that," Lucy replied, rolling her eyes.

"But you're weird."

"I'd say you're the weird one. You walk around showing your abs all the time!"

"Oi! So does Gray!"

"No he doesn't!"

"He is right now!"

"He is not!" Lucy turned towards Gray, only to find that he was shirtless. Her face grew ten times hotter than before. "Oh my god, he is! Why the hell are you completely shirtless!?"

"Stop staring, Love Rival!" Juvia said with a glare. "Gray-sama is already with Juvia! You can't have him!"

"I never said I wanted him!"

"Well why wouldn't you want Gray-sama!? Are you blind!?"

Lucy groaned, slapping a head on her forehead. Even though everyone was screaming, things felt different from Friday. It was actually fun talking to them. It made her feel alive, something that was only accomplished by her writing before. A smile crept on her face.

"Why are you smiling, Luigi?" Natsu asked.

"It's Lucy," the blonde corrected, a vein ticking in her forehead. "And I'm smiling because this group is really weird."

"Oi!"

"But it's a good weird," she elaborated, her smile growing warm and cheery. "It's clear you all care for each other, and you all have fun together. It's nice."

"Well now you're a part of our group!" Levy exclaimed, grabbing the blonde's hand and giving her a smile. "You're free to hang out with us any time!"

Lucy blushed, staring at her lap. "O-Okay. I'll take you up on that offer."

"Good! So it's settled! We'll go to Lu-chan's apartment tomorrow!"

"Huh!? When was that settled!?"

"Oh! I wanna see your apartment!" Natsu said, joining in. "We'll go there tomorrow after class!"

"Don't just decide that without asking, idiot!" Lucy screeched, slapping the boy's arm.

"C'mon, Luce! It'll be fun!"

The girl blushed at the nickname. It felt nice to have one. "F-Fine. We can go over to my place. But you're buying the snacks! I don't have enough food for all of you!"

"That sounds fair," Erza said with a nod. "So it's settled."

Lucy stood up from her seat. "I should get going now." Seeing that nobody was getting up, she arched a brow. "How late do you guys plan on staying?"

"What do you mean?" the redhead asked.

"Well it's pretty late and I know most of us have classes tomorrow. Shouldn't you guys be heading home soon, too?"

Everyone shared a quick glance, confusing Lucy. Little did the girl know that Fairy Tail was there home. The basement was, that is.

Levy chuckled nervously. "Umm, we all live pretty close-by, so we can stay a little longer. But did you want me to walk you home?"

"No, don't worry about it!" Lucy replied, waving her off. "I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow in class. Bye, everyone!"

Everyone waved at the girl as she left. Once she was gone, Levy turned towards the group and smiled.

"Thanks for making up with Lu-chan," she said. "It means a lot. I know why you guys are so suspicious, so thank you for trying."

"No, we're sorry," Erza replied. "We let our suspicious get the best of us and mistreated someone close to you. We'll try to do better."

Levy nodded, facing Gajeel. A sour look was plastered to his face. Shaking her head, the petite girl headed towards the back to go down to the basement to see the others.

She was excited about tomorrow. She was glad that her friends were putting in the effort to get to know Lucy. She just hoped that they wouldn't get too worried after seeing her apartment.

" _Oh well. That's a problem for tomorrow."_

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry again about typos! Hope you all liked the chapter!

Thank you to the reviewers: **Meow Orbit, rmadhumita378, vaneanime, Lady Of The Sphinx, Guest, Rein Serenity, Gigi-San28, Guest, Guest, OneLivesAgain, Guest, shootingstarssel, UpHisSleevies, valerioux, MusicLovingEmo, Tohka123, Alexa60765, MasterGildarts, Firefly9917, Soul Eater Maka, Mandapandaa, stranger1999, KarinStalker24, itsxoi, Juvia is my spirit animal, Mannyegb, Duchixx, KJacket, Terra of Life, Pizaano, Kauia, ThaDesperado64, Cher, Nalulove, animeflower107, KaytyTheBtch.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Hello everyone! :D Who's ready to check out Lucy's apartment? :D Not as much nalu maybe but it's there if you squint haha! I'm developing Lucy's relationship with the whole group while also trying to add in things about reincarnation/immortality and sprinkle in some nalu haha! :D Btw, if any of you have any questions about how reincarnation/immortality work in this story, feel free to ask! I will answer as long as it isn't something i'm saving to reveal later on in the story! I don't want any of it to be confusing though! :)

* * *

Chapter 7

Lucy's Apartment

"I can't wait for all of us to hang out at your apartment today, Lu-chan!" Levy said the moment the blonde sat beside her.

"I still think this is a bad idea," Lucy replied, nodding her head towards Jellal as greeting. It wasn't that she minded people coming over, but there really wasn't anything to do at her place. She didn't own any board games, or even a deck of cards. And it wasn't like her apartment was conveniently located near a beach or anywhere else fun. "You guys are just going to be disappointed."

Levy shrugged. There was some truth to the girl's words. She had only been to her friend's apartment once, and never bothered going there again. As much as the blonde loved reading, she only owned like four books! So, they stuck to hanging out at the library or the smoothie shop, where they would at least have some form of entertainment or good food.

"I, for one, am eager to see your apartment," Jellal chimed in. He was never one to talk much, but he did want to become closer to Lucy. He could tell that she was going to become a viable member of their group with how Levy and Natsu adored her. He needed to make an effort as well.

Lucy sighed. "Maybe I should've bought a game or two on the way home last night. Or at least enough ingredients to cook for you guys."

"You don't need all that!" Levy assured. "We can play games that don't involve spending money!"

"That's true," Jellal said. "And since we are just barging into your apartment, we should be the ones to supply the games and food."

Lucy nodded, but still felt nervous about hosting. She was just finally starting to get Levy's friends to warm up to her, she didn't want to lose that by hosting some lame kickback.

* * *

Once class ended, Lucy got up with Levy and Jellal and headed for the door.

"We'll wait for you outside of your class!" Levy said. She didn't have another class for the day, so she didn't have anywhere she needed to be.

"Do you have a class after this, Jellal?" Lucy questioned, raising a brow towards the quiet boy.

He shook his head. "Levy and I usually go straight to Fairy Tail after class. That, or I go by myself while she hangs out with you."

"Oh. Well I guess you guys can wait if you want."

The two walked Lucy to her class, which honestly put a little smile on her face. She hadn't had multiple friends in a long time, and even though it was a little too soon to regard Jellal as such, it felt good to have them walk her to her class. It made her feel like she was a normal girl, one that hadn't been avoiding building relationships with others in fear that her big secret would be discovered. With them, she was just Lucy. She wasn't someone that reincarnated or had to hide. She was normal.

Or at least felt like it.

Sure, they didn't know the truth, but they didn't need to.

Stopping outside of her classroom, Lucy gave them a bubbly grin. She hadn't felt so cheerful in years.

"I'll see you guys after class!" she exclaimed, starting to feel excited for their hangout session later.

"Okay! Bye, Lu-chan! Good luck with math!" Levy replied while Jellal gave a simple wave.

Heading inside, Lucy glanced towards the back of the classroom, surprised to find that Natsu and Gray were already sitting there. Natsu's face lit up the moment he saw her, giving her a wide grin and waving at her.

"Oi, Lucy! Hurry up!" he said.

Everyone in the class turned to look at her, causing her to blush from the attention. It felt good being recognized as someone with friends rather than the loner that she had been for lifetimes. It also felt good going to the back of the class again, instead of sitting in the front of the classroom like she had on Monday, when she thought that the two hated her.

"Hi, Natsu, Gray!" Lucy greeted, a skip in her step as she approached them.

"Hey, Lucy," Gray replied with a smile.

Taking her seat by Natsu, Lucy recognized the insane body heat that rolled off of the boy. Seriously, he had some insane body heat it was like he was a heater.

"Ready to show us your apartment later, Luce?" Natsu asked, leaning into her personal space.

Lucy flushed. It was like the boy lacked boundaries, but she found that she didn't mind it so much. "I guess. Just don't get your hopes up! My apartment isn't anything special."

"I bet you she has a bunch of stuffed animals," Natsu said, glancing towards Gray.

The other boy nodded. "That, or a shit ton of posters of her idol."

Lucy rolled her eyes. Okay, in her first lifetime, she may have had an abundance of stuffed animals. But could you blame her? They were cute and comforting, there was nothing wrong with that!

"I don't have either of those, thank you very much," the blonde replied. "Like I said, there's nothing special about my apartment."

Natsu didn't believe her. Even though they didn't have a place of their own, the immortals did share bedrooms and chose to decorate their sides as they wanted. Levy's side of her bedroom that she shared with Erza was filled with bookshelves. Erza's side was filled with medieval armor and antiques that she managed to hide from the public. Surely if someone found her stash, they would question where she found them or try to put them in a museum.

Natsu shared a bedroom with Gray. He chose to decorate his side with a couple of posters of his favorite bands, some pictures, and random mementos he saved over the years. Gray's side was a bit more laidback, only having a few pictures of him and Juvia and also his family.

Point is, everyone decorated their room in some way. And he was excited to learn how Lucy chose to decorate hers. He believed it would be something reminiscent of a teenage girl with a love of all things cute. Stuffed animals, a princess bed, pink walls, he believed she had it all.

"You better hope your kitchen is stocked," Gray said, leaning back in his chair so that he could see past Natsu and meet Lucy's gaze. "This idiot eats enough for a whole family of starving orphans."

Lucy paled. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, it's pretty disgusting."

"Shut up, Ice Prick!" Natsu shouted, glaring at his friend. Turning back to Lucy, he nodded. "But he is right. You have to have food."

"Or you could just feed yourself!" Lucy replied, glaring at him. "Why would I have so much food when I live alone!?"

"Hey! You knew I was coming over!"

"Need I remind you that you invited yourself _last night?_ And besides, we just met! How am I supposed to know you eat a lot!?"

Gray watched the two bicker, amused. Their crushes towards each other were so obvious, he was surprised that they couldn't see it themselves. It was the first time that he had seen Natsu have feelings towards a girl, and he had known him a very long time.

"Get a room," Gray teased.

Both Lucy and Natsu blushed, glaring at him.

"Shut up!" they replied in unison. "It's not like that!"

"Whatever you say," he said, rolling his eyes.

Lucy stared at her desk, fiddling with her fingers. She could feel warmth pooled in her cheeks. Having naturally fair skin, she could safely assume that her blush made her look like a fire hydrant.

Before either of the boys could tease her again, Aquarius walked into the classroom. The woman carried such an air of authority, everyone shut their mouths at the mere sight of her, lest they suffer from having chalk thrown at them.

Natsu stifled a groan as lecture began. Glancing towards Lucy, he was bummed to find that she was actually taking notes for once instead of writing her story. Now what was he going to do to pass the time? It wasn't like he was just going to write a story of his own.

Grabbing his pen, Natsu scribbled into the corner of his notebook, sliding it towards Lucy. The girl arched a brow, reading what he had wrote. With a roll of her eyes, she wrote back.

"I'm not writing my story because I know that you're going to read it and I want Levy-chan to be my first reader!" she replied.

Natsu narrowed his eyes at her, writing back, "I'm already your first reader! She can be your second reader!"

"No! Now leave me alone before we get caught!"

"Get caught?" Natsu wrote with an amused grin. "What is this? Kindergarten? Who cares if we get caught! This is college! We're paying thousands of dollars to be here, we can do whatever we want!"

"That's not how it works, idiot."

"Well it should be."

"Well it isn't!"

Lucy pushed the journal back to Natsu, facing the front of the class and deeming the conversation to be over. Natsu pouted, his source of entertainment ignoring him. He tried to pay attention to the lecture, but it was impossible! It was so boring, and he had already learned this stuff before.

Despite what others believed, Natsu was pretty smart when it came to math and science. Sure, he could be a bit denser when it came to social cues, but his book smarts weren't so bad. He didn't need to pay attention to the lecture.

And seeing as how Lucy was finishing the example problems on the board in seconds, it seemed she didn't need to either.

A grin spread over Natsu's face as an interesting thought came to mind.

"Would you rather freeze to death or be burned alive?" Natsu wrote, sliding the journal back to Lucy. His grin grew as he watched Lucy quirk a brow in interest. He could tell he reeled her in with that.

"That's a hard one," she wrote back, making sure that Aquarius wasn't paying attention. "I think I'd rather freeze to death."

"Would you rather eat a cockroach or dog shit?"

Lucy suppressed the urge to gag. Both options were terrible. "I hate this game. But I'd rather eat a cockroach."

Natsu quietly chuckled to himself. "Me too."

Time flew by as they both asked each other questions. They learned some interesting stuff about the other person. It wasn't exactly information they could use in a day-to-day sense, but it was still interesting enough to pass time until class ended.

"Levy-chan and Jellal should be waiting outside for us," Lucy said, grabbing her bag.

"Yosh! Time to see your apartment!" Natsu replied, slinging an arm around the girl's shoulders.

Lucy blushed from head to toe, her thoughts becoming a jumbled mess at the touch. It was a friendly touch but made her heart thump wildly in her chest nonetheless.

Just as they had promised, Levy and the rest of the gang were waiting outside of the classroom. To Lucy's surprise, Gajeel was there too. His arms were crossed and he was giving her a hard stare.

Not wanting to look at the boy who hated her any longer than she had to, Lucy moved her gaze onto Levy, only to find that the petite girl was studying her shoulder. Following the other girl's gaze, the blonde remembered that Natsu's arm was still wrapped around her shoulder. With blazing cheeks, she shrugged his arm off of her, not wanting to give any of them the wrong idea.

"A-Anyways, let's go now!" Lucy stammered, leading the way.

"Let's go to the grocery store closest to your apartment and pick up some snacks on the way there," Erza suggested.

Lucy nodded, hoping that they would chip in or at least only get a few items. Even though her father was loaded with money, it didn't mean she was. Her monthly allowance was fine for just her, but she couldn't risk having to speak to her father again just to ask for money. She preferred not to speak to him at all, actually.

The walk to the grocery store took about fifteen minutes and was only five minutes away from Lucy's apartment. Once they were inside, they split up into smaller groups to pick out what they wanted. Gajeel stuck close to Levy, but after she gave him the cold shoulder, he went to go with Natsu, Erza, and Jellal instead, cursing under his breath as he walked. That left Lucy and Levy alone while Gray and Juvia went as a pair.

Lucy bit back a frown, watching as Gajeel stomped away from them. Even though the dude was a major ass, she didn't want Levy to be mad at him forever. She liked their relationship, even if he didn't like her.

"When are you going to forgive Gajeel?" the blonde asked, eyeing a bag of potato chips.

Levy rolled her eyes. "Never at this rate. He's just such a stubborn idiot! And a jerk!"

"Don't you think that it's been long enough with the silent treatment? It's been four days now."

"It wouldn't be this long if he would just apologize already. He can't be a jerk to my best friend and get away with it!"

"At least it looks like he's making an effort! I mean, he did end up coming with us, after all."

Levy crossed her arms with a huff. In truth, the only reason he showed up was because he wanted to spy on Lucy and snoop through her stuff. And as a good friend, Levy wasn't going to let him do that. At least it wasn't like Lucy had much stuff to snoop through anyways.

"I'm not forgiving him until he apologizes. To _both_ of us!"

Lucy nodded, understanding Levy's decision.

Once everyone was done paying for their snacks- Lucy was glad they all paid separately- they resumed their journey to her apartment. It didn't take long to reach the complex, and soon enough, they were outside of Lucy's door. With a gulp, the blonde unlocked the door and led the way.

Everyone eagerly stepped inside, excited to see Lucy's apartment. All of their excitement drained away, however, when they saw how barren it was. There were barely any signs of human life. The bed was perfectly made, the table was clear, and the walls were bare. There were no pictures or posters, or even a magnet on the fridge. The only signs of someone living in the spacious apartment were the three books stacked on the nightstand.

"You really weren't kidding when you said there's nothing special about your apartment," Gray mused.

Lucy played with the ends of her hair. "I-I have books!"

"No, _Levy_ has books."

Levy glanced towards Gajeel and Erza. Their faces were hard as they studied the room. Honestly, having such a blank slate of a room didn't help Lucy's case of not looking suspicious.

"Why don't we play some games now?" Levy suggested with an awkward chuckle.

"I don't own any," Lucy reminded her, frowning. She never really had friends over before.

"I told you we don't need any board games, remember? Let's play never have I ever!"

"Oho, it's a good thing I bought these then," Erza chimed in, shaking her grocery bag. Inside was a bottle of vodka and a package of red plastic cups.

Sweat dripped down Lucy's face. "Alcohol? I'm only twenty."

"So? It's fine!" Natsu said, grinning at the girl. His grin faltered as he continued, "Unless you don't want to. We aren't gonna pressure you or anything."

Lucy shook her head, her cheeks turning pink. "No, it's okay. I'll join."

Everyone sat around in the living room in a circle, some on the couch, some on the dining room chairs that they dragged over, and the rest on the floor. Lucy was squished between Natsu and Levy on the couch. She had offered to sit on the floor, but Erza insisted that she sat on the couch while she pushed Gray and Gajeel to sit on the floor.

"Alright, you take a sip after someone calls out something you've done. And if you call something out that nobody has done, you have to take a sip instead," Erza instructed. "I'll go first. Never have I ever cut class."

Gray, Natsu, Gajeel, and Juvia begrudgingly took sips from their cups. Lucy frowned, gazing into her own cup, the foul stench of the vodka filling her nostrils. She wasn't a fan of this game. She didn't know if she should only count what she had done in this lifetime or if she should consider all of her lifetimes. There wasn't exactly a rulebook for her kind.

Figuring she'll go with all of her lifetimes, Lucy took a sip of her cup. She had skipped once during her first lifetime to go out on a date with her crush at the time.

"Never have I ever thrown up in a car," Jellal said with an amused grin.

"Oi! This isn't fair!" Natsu said, taking another sip. Gajeel took one as well.

"It's not his fault that your lame motion sickness is an easy target," Gray jibed.

Before a battle could begin, Juvia spoke.

"Never has Juvia ever been to a sports game," she said.

This time, only Gray took a sip. Giving his girlfriend a smirk, he said, "Really? Just going for me?" He and his father had gone to see hockey games when he was a child.

Juvia gasped. "Juvia is sorry! She never meant to betray her lovely Gray-sama!"

Gray nudged her and laughed. "I'm just joking, Juvia."

Gajeel glared at Lucy, wondering what he should say. This game was perfect for getting to know people, he could use that to his advantage. But what was he going to ask?

"Never have I ever done any research on anyone here," he said, waiting for Lucy to take a sip. To his chagrin, she didn't. But that didn't mean that she wasn't lying.

Levy crossed her arms, glaring at the boyfriend. He was even trying to turn an innocent game into a snooping session!

"That didn't apply to anyone, so you have to take a sip," Erza said.

Gajeel glared at the redhead, taking a sip.

"My turn!" Natsu said with a mischievous grin. "Never have I ever sat down to pee!"

All of the girls in the group rolled their eyes.

"That's a cheap shot," Lucy remarked.

"Instead of complaining, you should be taking another sip!" Natsu replied.

The blonde obliged, her face scrunching in disgust after drinking some vodka. She was sure rat poisoning tasted better.

"I guess I'm next," Levy said, cupping her chin in thought. "Never have I ever stolen before!"

Gajeel muttered beneath his breath, throwing his head back and taking another gulp. So far, he was losing. But that didn't matter. What he really wanted was to find out more about the mortal his girlfriend was insistent on remaining friends with.

Lucy fidgeted in her seat as everyone's focus was solely on her. Oh right, it was her turn to say something. Not having been a stranger to the game, she said something that used to always win her a round.

"Never have I ever had sex," Lucy said confidently. Well, somewhat confidently. She was a bit embarrassed that in her four lifetimes, she managed to always avoid sex. She watched as everyone blushed and took a sip from their cup.

Everyone but Natsu.

Lucy's eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly. So he was a virgin too? She never would've guessed.

Unlike her, Natsu didn't seem to mind his virgin status. Instead, he showed off his pearly whites in a wide grin as he watched everyone else drink.

"Lucy got you guys good!" he exclaimed, smiling at the blonde.

"But I didn't get you apparently," Lucy replied, still shocked. She didn't know why she was so surprised. If she was a virgin still, why was it a shocker that someone else in the group was as well? She supposed it was because most people had sex during their teen years. That, and how unbelievably gorgeous Natsu was.

Natsu laughed. "Nah. Not me."

"Because no girl would ever want to sleep with you," Gray chimed in with a face of disgust.

"Oi! Yes they would!"

"Name one!"

"You know who I'm talking about!"

Everyone in the group suddenly gave sad smiles, ones that confused Lucy. What were they talking about? Was it an inside joke? If so, she wasn't going to question it. That would only make her feel even more out of place and it'd ruin the joke.

Erza cleared her throat, paving way for everyone to start playing again. They played a few more rounds of never have I ever before they started to run out of things to say.

"Let's play a different game," Erza suggested.

"What game?" Levy asked.

"Truth or dare."

Lucy stifled the urge to sigh. She didn't really like that game. Most dares were too much for her to handle and the group didn't know her enough to ask her any interesting questions.

"Bunny Girl," Gajeel called out, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Lucy pointed to herself. "Me?"

"Duh. Who else would I be callin' that?"

Lucy awkwardly chuckled. She didn't understand the new nickname, which was apparently supposed to be obvious. "Did you need something?"

"Bathroom."

"Oh. It's down that hall. Second door on the left."

Gajeel walked away without a word of thanks.

Levy watched as the boy left the group. Unlike her trusting best friend, Levy knew what he was up to. He was getting away so that he could go snoop! At least he wouldn't find anything in Lucy's bathroom, unless basic bathroom necessities were what he was after.

Gajeel locked the bathroom door behind him and began digging through Lucy's cabinets. He didn't really know what he was expecting to find in the girl's bathroom of all places, but there was nowhere else he could search. She had a studio apartment, so it was impossible to snoop around the rest of the place without being seen.

Pads, tampons, and hair products were the majority of what he found. Still, he searched every nook and cranny for anything he could use against her. There had to be something. Something he could use to show that she wasn't to be trusted. And once he proved he was right all along, Levy would stop being so angry at him.

Opening the bottom drawer, the last place for him to search, Gajeel sighed to himself. There were a couple of stray hair ties, bobby pins, and an old necklace that clearly hadn't been worn in years as it was covered in dirt and some of it was chipped. There was nothing substantial in her bathroom.

Feeling hopeless, he headed back to the others, finding they were all waiting for him.

"Took you long enough," Natsu said. "Takin' a dump?"

"'Course not, idiot!" Gajeel barked.

"Well now that you're back," Jellal began, "it's time to start our next game. Truth or dare. I'll go first. Levy, truth or dare?" He would've chosen Erza, but her wrath sometimes extended into the bedroom if he dared test her.

Levy wasn't too worried about Jellal, as he was one of the nicer members of their group. Still, she wanted to play it safe. "Truth."

"What is one of your kinks?"

Levy sputtered, her face turning bright as a tomato. So much for Jellal being the nice one! He was evil, he just hid it better than most!

Gajeel gave a smug grin. He knew plenty.

"Umm, I uhh, I guess it would have to be… bondage," Levy squeaked, steam practically blowing out of her ears. She felt like she was going to die of embarrassment.

Lucy gawked at her best friend. She never would've expected the sweet, innocent little Levy to have any kinks. " _I guess it's the innocent looking ones that are the kinkiest."_

Levy, wanting to deter the attention she was receiving onto somebody else, chose the person sitting straight across from her.

"Juvia! Truth or dare!"

"Juvia chooses truth!" The only person she would want to dare her was Gray.

The petite girl wiggled her eyebrows, a smirk spreading across her face. There was a question she'd been dying to ask her fellow blue-headed friend. "If you werne't dating Gray, which of the guys would you prefer to date?"

Juvia paled, clutching her heart in mock pain. Or maybe it was real pain. She was a bit on the dramatic side.

"Juvia could never answer!"

"You have to!"

"Juvia would choose to find Gray-sama and make him hers again!"

"Stop avoiding the question!"

"It's alright, Juvia," Gray said, nudging his girlfriend and giving her an assuring grin. It was just a silly question, it didn't mean anything. He knew she loved him, and he trusted her.

The girl fidgeted in her seat, reluctantly answering with a frown, "Juvia supposes she would choose Jellal."

Lucy whipped her head between Erza and Juvia. To her surprise, the redhead didn't seem upset at all that her husband was her friend's choice. If anything, she seemed proud. Was she not jealous at all?

" _I guess that's what a healthy relationship is like,"_ Lucy thought with a smile. Even if Juvia had chosen Erza's husband, the group trusted each other. Nothing would ever happen between Juvia and Jellal, it was just a game.

"I'm surprised you didn't choose Gajeel," Levy said, raising her brows. "You two are really close!"

"Gajeel-kun is Juvia's closest friend! We work best that way!"

"Damn straight," the bulky boy replied with a grin.

"In fact, Gajeel-kun! Truth or dare?"

"Dare! I ain't no wimp like the rest of you!"

"Juvia dares you to… Hmm…" Gray leaned towards his girlfriend and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes lit up from the suggestion. "Juvia dares Gajeel-kun to hold hands with Natsu until we leave Lucy's apartment!"

The two boys shared looks of mortification and disgust. The thought of touching each other in any way that wasn't fighting was absolutely revolting. And they had to do it the entire time?

Gajeel gulped, his hand shaking as he reached towards Natsu's. Stifling the urge to throw up, he snatched the boy's hand, but he refused to lace their fingers together. There was no way in hell he was going that far, not even for a dare.

Everyone laughed at the two's misery, taking out their phones and snapping pictures.

Gajeel turned towards his victim. Lucy shut her mouth from laughing. She should've known he would want to dare her in some humiliating or disgusting way.

"Truth or dare?" he gritted out.

"Truth," she answered. She didn't want to look afraid, but she also didn't want to give Gajeel any satisfaction. Going with truth was the safest thing to do.

"What is the worst thing you've ever done? Something that you regret to this day. Something that you can't get out of your head because of how horrible it was."

"Gajeel," Natsu ground out with a threatening growl. He didn't like the look Gajeel was giving Lucy, or the question for that matter.

"What? It's just a game, right?"

Lucy looked down at her lap, clutching the hem of her shirt. She knew off the top of her head what the right answer was. It made her sick to her stomach as her mind began to replay images of that fateful night. It made her breath thin and tears prick her eyes. It haunted her dreams, serving as a reminder of her lowest point in all of her lives.

But she couldn't speak of it. Not without revealing her reincarnation.

So, she went with the next best answer.

"There was a time in my life in which I felt like I didn't belong," Lucy began, her fingers fiddling with her shirt. "I was alienating everyone in my life, including my parents. I refused to speak to them or even look them in the eye. I never even explained why I felt this way. Imagine getting pregnant and being so excited to raise that child and give it all your love, just for them to completely ignore your existence. I did that to my own parents for years despite their best efforts, enough to make my mother so heartbroken she became sick."

Natsu's eyes were wide and his mouth was hung wide open as he stared at the girl beside him. He could tell it was eating her up with how she refused to meet anyone's gaze or the way she kept playing with her shirt. Looking past the blonde, he saw that Levy was just as shocked as the rest of them. Even she hadn't known.

"Why did you feel that way?" Juvia suddenly asked. She then gasped and covered her mouth. "Sorry! Juvia didn't mean to ask that! You don't have to answer!"

Lucy gave a weak chuckle and stared up at her ceiling. It happened during her second lifetime. It was her first time being reincarnated. She was scared, confused, angry. She had new parents unknowingly trying to take the place of her first parents, who she had loved dearly. It felt wrong being close to them. It felt wrong being their daughter. So she iced them out of her life, just as she had with everyone else.

"I'm not sure," Lucy answered, unable to speak the truth. "I had no real reason to be that way. They were nothing but kind and supportive of me, even though I was a horrible person to them." Feigning a cheery smile, she stared at Erza. She needed to change the subject.

"Truth or dare?"

* * *

About an hour passed until they ran out of dares to give. It was getting late, and it was a school night, so everyone started helping Lucy clean up. Erza made sure everyone helped get the place sparkling clean before they were to leave.

"Thank you for having us over," Jellal said, smiling at Lucy.

The blonde mirrored the expression. "It was fun! We should do this again!"

"I agree," Erza chimed in. "I say we have a sleepover this weekend. Just us girls."

Lucy gawked at the redhead. She didn't understand how she was so comfortable inviting herself over to her apartment, but it was amusing. And it wasn't like she had any plans.

"Sounds good to me!" Lucy replied, much to the other girls' delight.

Everyone started saying their goodbyes and filing out of the girl's apartment. Levy stopped in the doorway, quirking a brow as Natsu stayed beside Lucy.

"Are you coming, Natsu?" she asked.

"I'll meet ya guys later," the boy answered, shoving his hands in his pocket.

Levy glanced towards Lucy, who shrugged. "Okay. See you guys later." With that, she closed the door on the way out.

Lucy turned towards Natsu, who was still facing the door, his face serious. If it weren't for his unusual behavior, she would be inwardly gushing over the fact that she was alone with her crush just feet away from her bed. Instead, she stared at the boy, waiting for him to move or say something.

Meanwhile, Natsu was lost in thought. He couldn't stop thinking about Lucy's story from earlier. It was something he somewhat related to in terms of not feeling like he belonged. But he was surprised that the nice girl would act coldly to her parents, even admitting that they had done nothing wrong to her. Something must've happened for her to act that way.

He wasn't going to push her to find out what. He wasn't even going to bring it up, not wanting to bring up painful memories. But he was going to try to make her open up more so that she never had to feel that way ever again.

Natsu faced Lucy with upmost sincerity. "Next time I come over, we're going to decorate this place."

"Huh?" the blonde asked. That wasn't what she was expecting him to say.

"We're gonna take lots of pictures and hang them up and decorate this place with things you like."

Lucy stared back at the boy, her body feeling light as a feather. Her heart was beating fast, threatening to break free out of her chest. She was sure that her face was red, but she ignored it.

Lucy smiled at the boy and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Natsu. I should be getting ready for bed now."

"Yeah," Natsu replied, giving her a fanged grin. "Well, I'll see ya tomorrow, Luce!"

"Tomorrow?"

"Aren't you coming to Fairy Tail tomorrow?"

Lucy hadn't made plans for it, but she didn't see why not. She was feeling much more comfortable with Levy's friends now, and if they could invite themselves into her apartment, she could invite herself to their hangout sessions.

"Yeah, I'll be there," she said. "Goodnight, Natsu."

"Night, Lucy."

Lucy closed the door behind Natsu, leaning against it with a sigh. As fun as it was hanging out with them, it was a bit relieving to be alone now. She wasn't used to all this socializing. It was a bit overwhelming.

Heading to the bathroom, the girl searched for a hair tie to put her hair up so she could brush her teeth. Opening the bottom drawer, she went to grab a hair tie when a familiar necklace caught her attention. Picking up the golden necklace, a nostalgic smile graced her face.

The gold was duller now and there were pieces of dirt stuck in some of the small chains. The heart locket was chipped and didn't hold its shine over the years.

This necklace was the only thing that Lucy had managed to keep during her all of her lifetimes.

It was a pain in the ass getting it back, and she actually had to dig through her own grave to find it- which was an experience she never wanted to think of again. Since then, she's been burying the locket once she turned twenty-one, in places that she would remember. It was a gruesome task, but it was worth it.

Opening the locket, she stared at a picture of herself standing between her first parents. She was roughly the same age and looked the exact same. Pulling out the picture, she read the date printed in the bottom corner. It was taken nearly sixty years ago. If someone found this picture, there was no way she could lie her way out of it.

Lucy released a shaky breath, tears creeping in her eyes at she stared at the image of her parents. They were so happy. _She_ was so happy.

Carefully folding the edges back so that the picture could fit in the locket again, Lucy closed the necklace once more and put it back in the drawer for safe keeping. She only had a bit more time with it before she had to bury it again for her next life.

" _Maybe I can start a capsule. I can put my favorite item from each lifetime in it and get them all back when I reincarnate."_

Lucy smiled at the thought of it. What would she put in the capsule for this lifetime?

Natsu's words replayed in her head.

 _"We're gonna take lots of pictures and hang them up and decorate this place with things you like."_

A picture with her friends sounded like the perfect thing to put in the capsule. It was sad knowing that there would come a time when all of her friends would die and she would continue living, but at least now she would have a picture to commemorate their time together.

Lucy crawled into bed, eager to see her new friends again. Even if they wouldn't live forever, she hoped their friendship would.

* * *

 **AN:** Getting some more info on Lucy's past! What do you think Lucy's biggest regret is? The only info I'll give you about it was that it also happened during her second life! And you might be wanting to know more about Natsu's past, but just have to be a little careful! I foreshadowed some of it, but for the most part things are still in the dark!

Also, a few of you were wondering if I own a switch since I wrote about one last ch., and I actually don't have one! I played with my sisters when I visited and it was really cool! :D Anyways, please leave a review and I'll see you next time! :D

Huge thank you as always to the reviewers: **vaneanime, Lunar13, Mary Chou, Rein Serenity, Kauia, Talia D'ville, itsxoi, shootingstarrsel, Guest, Alexa60765, KJacket, Guest, Firefly9917, stranger1999, MasterGildarts, valerioux, OneLivesAgain, Mannyegb, Cher, rmadhumita378, ThaDesperado64, KarinStalker24, Terra of Life, Bakers28, WhatAnimeHasTaughtMe, KaytyTheBtch, randommess1, blargolp, Animeflower107, Soul Eater Maka, KatanaNoNeko, biscoiju, Ikityan, Guest(x4), Nalulove, Guest, NightWalker475, Yumeko.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** I'm back with an update! I proofread this thing a million times and I keep finding typos each time. I should really stop writing at like 3 in the morning lol. So if you see a typo that I somehow missed, my apologies. :')

* * *

Chapter 8

Close Call

"Good morning, Lucy."

"Good morning, everyone."

Lucy released a big yawn, dragging her feet to her seat. Erza and the others always managed to beat her to class, which was surprising since Gray was usually stumbling into math class just split seconds before class started. She assumed he was only early because of a certain redheaded terror.

Lucy glanced towards Gajeel. His muscular arms were crossed over his chest, per usual, but his scowl on his face seemed less harsh than before. In fact, he wasn't outright glaring at her. Instead, he focused his gaze on the wall next to them, avoiding her gaze but still not staring daggers into her.

Was she making progress?

Before she could further wonder about Gajeel's feelings towards her, Scorpio entered the room.

"Alright, guys. It's time for your first lab project," he said, taking his seat at the front of the classroom and propping his feet unprofessionally on the desk. Pointing at a kid sitting in the front of the classroom, he continued, "Hey, you. Wanna pass out this lab's packets?"

The student shrugged, grabbing the thick stack of packets and distributing them among the students. Lucy stifled a groan. Science was one of her worst subjects. Sure, she had always done well in all of her classes, but science was still her lowest. She hoped that she could change that this lifetime.

But with how extensive the packet was for their very first lab, she was starting to think it would be impossible.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Erza asked, seeing the frown that rested on the blonde's face. "Are you not good at science?"

"I wouldn't say that I'm not good at it," the girl answered with a shrug. "I always do well in my classes, but it's my worst subject. I want to do better this time around."

Erza's lips twitched upwards into a smirk. "You know, Natsu is surprisingly good at science. If you ever need help, you should ask him."

"Really? He's smart?"

Gray laughed. "It's surprising that an idiot like Natsu can be smart at something, isn't it? I'm pretty good at science too."

"What about you, Erza? What subject are you best at?"

"History," the redhead answered. She hadn't been an immortal the longest in their group- Cana was, and after her was Gray- but she still knew more about history than they did.

"And what about you, Juvia?"

Juvia's brows rose. "Juvia isn't sure. Juvia does well in all of her classes, she doesn't stand out in any of them."

Lucy glanced towards Gajeel, who still refused to look at her. With a nervous grin, she asked, "A-And what about you, Gajeel?"

The grumpy boy glanced at her in the corner of his eyes and scoffed. Seeing Erza shake her head disapprovingly, he was reminded of their conversation last night, after they had returned to Fairy Tail from Lucy's apartment.

" _I know what you were doing," Erza had said, following Gajeel to his room. Her arms were crossed and she was giving him a disappointed frown. "Well? Did you find anything?"_

 _Gajeel rolled his eyes and plopped on his bed, turning away from her. "I don't know what you're talkin' about."_

 _"About Lucy. You were trying to find something on her, right? So? Did you find something?"_

 _His brows furrowed. "…No, I didn't. But that doesn't mean jack shit! That girl is hiding something!"_

 _"Perhaps she is," Erza said, moving to sit at his desk. "But aren't we all?"_

 _"That's different! We're-"_

 _"Hiding a secret, just as everyone else in the world does. Are we bad people for having secrets?"_

 _"No, but-"_

 _"Gajeel, I have more reason than most to be distrusting of mortals, and even though I cannot say that I trust Lucy, there is part of me that wants to. You should too, for Levy and for yourself."_

 _"What good would that do for me?" the boy asked with a scoff._

 _Erza sighed. "The weight on my shoulders feels a little lighter now that I'm trying to be more trusting. I'm sure it'll help you as well. And even though you try to act like a stubborn, edgy idiot, we all know that you care about your friends, especially Levy. You don't want to lose her, so I suggest you start being nicer to Lucy."_

As much as Gajeel hated to admit it, the redhead's words left a lasting effect on him. He hadn't talked to Levy in days, and it was starting to eat him up. He missed laughing and teasing his girlfriend. He just wanted to keep her safe, why was that so hard to understand?

"Auto shop," he finally grumbled, glaring at the opposite wall.

Lucy's brows rose towards her hairline, shocked that Gajeel actually answered her question. "O-Oh, really?"

"What? Is it surprisin' that I'm good at something?" he sneered.

"No, of course not! Auto shop is just really hard and I've never met anyone outside of a mechanics shop that's actually good at it!"

"Gajeel-kun is great with mechanics!" Juvia chimed in with a smile. "He can fix any car he wants to!"

"Yeah, but he sure as hell can't drive any," Gray jibed.

"Shut up," Gajeel said with a glare.

"Do you not have your license or something?" Lucy questioned.

Gray chortled. "Nah, he's just got really bad motion sickness."

"Like Natsu!? What are the chances of that?"

"It is indeed strange," Erza added. "Anyways, it's time to start our project."

"Here we go…" Gray murmured, knowing just how serious the girl could get over schoolwork. Or really anything for that matter.

* * *

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief once class finally ended. Being lab partners with Erza was perhaps one of the most stressful things she had ever had to endure in her life, even with her reincarnation problems. She had found that the redhead was very serious about school, diligently reading every word in the instructions for their first lab. And even though science wasn't Erza's strongest suit, she still took it upon herself to lead the entire lab, despite Gray's obvious superior knowledge in the subject.

All in all, it was a stressful time in her life.

Once everyone finished packing their things, Lucy walked with them out the door.

"Are you guys going to Fairy Tail?" she asked, adjusting one of the straps of her backpack to make it even with the other.

Erza nodded. "Would you like to join us?"

"Oh, yeah I was already heading over there. Natsu wanted me to meet him."

"You know that he's a huge pyro, right? Not to mention a dumbass," Gray told Lucy. "It's not too late for you to back out of this."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Something tells me that even though you and Natsu argue all the time, you guys are actually the best of friends." At Gray's sputtering and protests, she continued, "And I don't want to back out. It's obvious Natsu has boundary problems but he's nice. That's all I need in a friend."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Reaching Fairy Tail, Lucy felt her butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Ever since she became friends with Natsu that fateful Monday, the girl figured her strange feelings towards the boy would disappear on their own. Instead, her crush was only growing with how nonchalantly Natsu would wrap an arm around her, or give her a grin that seemed to stop time, or say things that managed to make her body feel light.

" _It's just a crush,"_ Lucy thought to herself as the doors were pushed open. " _It'll go away on its own."_

After all, she'd had crushes before. They didn't really mean anything, other than her body's natural curiosity towards cute boys.

Natsu paused from stuffing his face with food once he saw the familiar blonde approaching. With a bright grin, he exclaimed, "Lucy! Finally, you're here! I've been waitin' forever!"

And Lucy noticed, with annoyance, that the butterflies came back in full force at the look of his face. How excited he looked just to see her, even though they had only just met not too long ago. As if they had known each other for years, which is honestly how it was starting to feel.

"H-Hey, Natsu," Lucy replied, sitting by him. She cursed her heart for thumping so wildly in her chest. "How's your day been going so far?"

"So _boring!_ Seriously, there's been nothin' to do all day. Save me from this boredom, Lucy!" Natsu begged, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her pleadingly.

Lucy laughed, playfully swatting his hands away. "Alright, alright! Let me get some food first, I'm hungry."

"Want some of my food?"

The blonde studied his plate. It was all meat. "No thanks. I'll go order something else, be right back." With that, she rose from her seat and headed towards the bar, where a purple-haired girl stood behind the counter. She was wearing a green dress and appeared only a few years older than them.

Natsu watched Lucy walk, his eyes glazing over every inch of her, starting with her golden locks. It was like every strand was crafted with real gold, shining under the lights. His eyes followed the trail of her curves, landing on her hips. Lucy was a curvy girl. His eyes moved towards her bum when Natsu swallowed thickly, forcing himself to move his gaze onto his food.

He felt weird looking at Lucy like that. He'd never looked at a girl like that before. Mentally cursing himself, he found that his pants felt a bit tighter as his groin twitched in arousal.

"Did you just offer to share your food?" Gray asked, gaping at the boy.

Natsu glanced towards him, raising a brow. "Yeah? So what?"

"You never share your food!"

"What? Yes I do!"

"You're so full of shit," Gajeel said, smirking at him. "You full on decked Gray the last time he tried to take a single fry from you. Just admit it, you're obsessed with Bunny Girl."

Natsu's face turned red and he glared at him. "No I'm not! Shut up!"

"Yes you are! You're like her puppy or some shit, it's gross."

"Oh, like you and Levy?"

"Yeah, except we're actually datin'. Are you sayin' that you wanna date Lucy?"

Natsu choked on his saliva and became a sputtering mess. That was when Lucy finally rejoined the group, a plate of fettucine alfredo in her hands.

"Natsu? Why is your face red? Are you feeling okay?" she asked taking her spot between him and Levy.

"Just peachy," the boy grumbled, avoiding her gaze.

Lucy stared at him a moment longer before shrugging it off. Twirling her fork in her pasta, she brought some of the creamy noodles to her mouth and took a bite. Her eyes lit up and her lips stretched into a pleasant smile.

"This is delicious! I wasn't expecting a pub to have really good pasta!" Lucy exclaimed, taking another bite.

Natsu grinned, amused with her excitement over food. His mouth moved on its own and he spoke without thinking. "You should try Mira's! She's the best-!"

Everyone else in the group stiffened, and Natsu quickly realized his mistake. His throat constricted and he clamped his mouth shut.

Mira's existence, along with every other mortal in the basement, was confidential. Nobody was supposed to know that they existed, as it wasn't their turn in the outside world. Everything revolved around balance, and the slightest slipup could prove to be fatal if done so in the wrong presence.

Lucy tilted her head. "The best what? Cook?"

Natsu struggled to swallow, his mouth feeling drier than a desert. He stiffly nodded.

"Y-Yeah," he answered. He felt guilty for messing up. He was usually better about these sorts of things, but he figured it was only because he never really talked to mortals anyways ever since he found out he was immortal. He was out of practice.

"Who's Mira?" Lucy asked with an unknowing smile.

Everyone in the group was on edge, some of them having their suspicions returning.

"She's an old friend of ours," Erza lied smoothly. "She used to cook for us sometimes before she moved."

"Oh," Lucy replied simply. "Well I wish I had the chance to meet her before she moved if her pasta is even better than this, because this tastes amazing!"

Everyone else fought the urge to sigh in relief. It seemed Lucy was oblivious to the inner turmoil of the rest of the group.

Natsu was quiet, staring at his lap with a frown. On the one hand, he felt bad for lying to Lucy. On the other hand, he felt bad for slipping up.

Lucy glanced towards Natsu. His usual cheerful persona was replaced with a gloomy one. Lightly nudging him, she gave him a smile.

"I'm sure you'll see Mira again someday," she assured, grabbing his hand and giving it a light squeeze.

Natsu lightly chuckled at her misunderstanding. She assumed that he was upset because he missed his friend, and she was trying to cheer him up. She really was nice.

"Yeah, you're right," he replied, throwing an arm over her shoulder and bringing her flushed against his side.

Lucy blushed, feeling her leg pressed against Natsu's. How was he so calm being so close?

Once everyone's suspicions went away, everyone broke off to talk in pairs.

"So how was class?" Natsu asked. He took his fork and twirled it into Lucy's pasta, stealing a large helping for himself.

Lucy glared at him and smacked his hand away. "Stop it! You have your own food!"

"Can't help it, Luce! I'm hungry!"

"Then buy your own!"

"But I just wanted a little bite!"

"Little bite? Please! You took half of the plate!"

"Yeah, yeah. So class?"

"Oh yeah. It was fine," Lucy answered with a shrug. "Except now we're going to start labs."

"That's awesome!" Natsu replied.

The girl sighed. "It would be, if I was good at science. But I'm not."

"Really?"

"Well, I'm good, but not good enough. There are just some things that I can't wrap my head around no matter how much I try." And with her four lifetimes, she had tried many times, but she left that out.

"I can teach ya," Natsu said.

"Oh yeah. Erza was saying something about you being good at science."

"Yep! And chemistry is my favorite!"

"Well, if I ever need your help, I'll take you up on that offer."

Lucy glanced towards everyone else in the room. They were all talking to their significant others, including Levy and Gajeel. It was the first time she had seen them talk in a while, and she was glad that they were making up. She knew that her best friend missed hanging out with her boyfriend.

Lucy's cheeks dusted pink. " _I wonder if Natsu and I look like we're a couple."_ Seeing Ntasu scarf down her food, she figured they didn't.

* * *

Once it started getting dark outside, Lucy took that as her cue to start heading home.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," she said. She was starting to feel less like an outcast and more like a friend to everyone. It was nice.

"Bye, Lu-chan!" Levy replied, hugging her tightly while everyone else chorused their own goodbyes.

"I'll walk you home," Natsu offered, shooting out of his seat.

"It's fine, Natsu. You don't have-"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go already, Luce!"

Lucy smiled and nodded, inwardly swooning that her crush was walking her home.

The two headed outside, hit with a gust of cold air. Summer was fading away, fall taking its place. Soon, Lucy would have to retire some of her more promiscuous outfits in favor of some sweaters and leggings.

"Oh man!" Natsu suddenly shouted. "I forgot to take pictures with everyone for your apartment!"

Lucy giggled. "Don't worry about that. We have plenty of time for that. Besides, I don't want to force them to take pictures with me. I want to be close friends first."

"But they're all warmin' up to you! Even that hardheaded idiot, Gajeel!"

"Still. I'm still new to the group and I want to give it some time. I'm just happy to be spending time with you guys."

Natsu's lips twitched upwards into a grin. "Well then, how about we take our own picture?" Grabbing the girl's hands, he sprinted off towards the center of town, towards Lucy's apartment. They passed the girl's complex, but they didn't stop there.

"Natsu? Where are we going?" Lucy asked, panting as she was being dragged through town.

"To the busiest street in Magnolia!" he answered.

Soon enough, they approached a street full of vendors. People walked through the street, stopping at booths and buying whatever caught their attention. Lights were strewn between the lampposts, lighting up the cobblestone.

Natsu pulled out his phone. "Let's take a picture!"

"Here?" Lucy asked. "But there's a lot of people?"

"So?"

"It's embarrassing taking a picture in front of people!"

"What? No it isn't! C'mon, Lucy! There's no better time than the present!"

Lucy couldn't fight the smile that broke out on her face. "Fine."

Scooting closer to Natsu, she tilted her head towards his and blushed as he did the same, resting his head on hers. She hoped that she wasn't blushing as she stared straight at the camera.

"Say 'aye!'" he said.

"Aye!"

Once he snapped the picture, Lucy was saddened that he stepped away from her. Still, he stood closer to her than most people do with their friends as he looked at the picture. He beamed at her.

"Looks awesome!" he exclaimed, handing his phone to her.

Lucy studied the picture, her smile growing. She looked happy, happier than she had seen herself in a long time. Just as she thought, her cheeks were visibly pink, but at least she didn't look like a tomato. Eyes trailing towards Natsu, her heartrate quickened and her insides turned to goo at the energetic smile he gave the camera. He looked adorable, like a little ball of sunshine. Behind them, the colorful stands from the vendors along with the lights served as a good background.

"I love it," Lucy said, tears pricking her eyes. Natsu would never know how meaningful to her all of this was.

"Good. I'll send it to you. Wait, that reminds me, I don't have your number!"

"Is that your way of asking for it?"

Natsu rolled his eyes, nudging the girl as they headed back towards her apartment. "Just give it to me already."

Lucy tapped a finger over her chin. "Hmm… Nah."

"What? Why not!?"

"I don't know. Just don't feel like it."

"That's not fair! Levy has your number!"

"Levy-chan is my best friend!"

"I thought I was your best friend!"

"You wish!" Lucy said with a laugh. "But fine. Hand me your phone, I'll put my number in for you." Ignoring Natsu's sounds of victory, she typed in her phone number and created a new contact for herself. As simple as a task it was, she couldn't help but flush. She hadn't given a boy her phone number in a long time.

Lucy was about to hand Natsu's phone back to him when an idea stuck her. Opening his camera, she stopped in her tracks and smiled, taking a selfie. Examining it, she shrugged. The lighting wasn't the best as they had ventured away from the strewn lights, but it would do. She didn't look bad and it wasn't too dark.

"What're you doing?" Natsu asked, quirking a brow.

"Giving my contact info a picture of me," Lucy answered, finally handing him his phone back. Then, she took out her own phone and held it out to him. "Your turn."

Natsu typed in his information, making a new contact. Then, he opened her camera app, facing it towards himself. He gave it a cheeky grin and held up a peace sign before snapping a picture.

"There!" he exclaimed, setting it as his picture in her phone.

Lucy smiled, glad to have his phone number, and even a picture of him.

When they reached her apartment, Lucy invited Natsu inside to stay for a bit. They sat at her dining table, talking about random things. It was fun having someone new to get to know. It was unusual for the both of them. In Natsu's case, he hadn't gotten close to mortals before, and it was rare when their group received a new immortal. For Lucy, she distanced herself to stay hidden.

They never wanted to go back to how it was before.

"I can't wait for it to be Christmas break already," Natsu said with a groan, leaning on her table.

"Me too," Lucy replied. "I am tired of math and science. And I'm tired of Aquarius' scariness and insane homework assignments."

"But what if we don't have any classes together next quarter?"

First year students weren't able to make their own schedules, the school assigned them. They were only allowed to list a few of their interests, and the school handled it, mainly focusing on their general requirements first. So, Lucy wasn't able to try to get in the same classes as them.

"I hope we do," Lucy confessed. "I just met you guys. What if we don't hang out anymore once we're separated?" A frown spread over her face.

Natsu nudged her. "What are ya talkin' about, Luce? We're always gonna be friends! We can just hang out after class! But I would rather spend class with you too. Who else is gonna entertain me in class?"

"You should be paying attention in class."

"Says the one that writes stories. Which by the way, you haven't let me read in a while."

"And I'm never going to!"

The two crossed their arms and glared at each other before erupting in a fit of laughter. Things were simple between them. They didn't feel like they were hiding a major secret, they were just being themselves. Natsu and Lucy, not 'boy who never ages' and 'girl who dies a lot.'

Things were easy.

Once Lucy cracked a yawn, Natsu knew he should head out. So, he headed towards the door and gave the girl a grin.

"See ya tomorrow, Lucy!" he said.

"Bye, Natsu. Be careful on the way home! Text me when you get there!" Lucy ordered.

The boy laughed and nodded. "You got it."

With that, he was closing the door behind him, listening to make sure Lucy locked it before heading back towards Fairy Tail. His heart felt light as a feather and a smile graced his face as he recalled what Lucy had said right before he left. She wanted him to be careful. Nobody had told him to be careful before- well, they had when he was holding explosive chemicals, but that was for their own safety. Lucy was genuinely worried for him.

It made him feel weird.

Natsu felt things he had never felt before around Lucy. He wondered if the feelings would go away.

He hoped they didn't.

Unlocking his phone, he opened his photo app and clicked on his newest picture. It was a bit dark, but he could see Lucy's features perfectly. Her golden hair, big brown eyes, and kind smile. His heart raced just from looking at it. And he wasn't oblivious to what it meant.

Natsu Dragneel had his first crush.

He didn't expect anything to happen between them, though. And he was perfectly fine with that. He was just glad to be friends with Lucy. He wasn't sure he could handle anything more than that anyways.

Reaching Fairy Tail, Natsu headed straight towards the basement and into his room. Gray wasn't there, meaning he was probably hanging out in Juvia and Cana's room. Which meant he would probably be alone for the night.

His hands tugged at the ends of his scarf, a frown resting on his face. He hated being alone.

Natsu glanced towards his phone, tempted to text Lucy, but he decided against it. The girl was probably trying to go to sleep, he didn't want to keep her up just because he was feeling lonely. He could play games, listen to music, or work on new experiments.

But what he craved was social interaction.

Natsu's hand tightened around his scarf. He didn't want just any social interaction.

With a shaky breath, he turned off the lights and tried to sleep, all the while trying to keep the pesky tears that were brimming his eyes from falling. And for the millionth time, he wished he wasn't immortal.

* * *

 **AN:** It seems our little baby Natsu also has some sad times in life. :') Hope you guys liked the chapter! I'm trying to slowly build up the nalu! I'm also writing their relationship differently. I always write them from friends to lovers but this time I'm having them have a crush on each other from the beginning! Which I've never done before! We'll see how it works out lol.

ALSO, a lot of people were confused about the picture being taken 60 years ago so I wanted to explain that a bit. Yes, the picture was taken around 60 years ago, but she was in her twenties when the picture was taken. So, instead of it being 60 years divided by her 4 lifetimes, it would be 80 years divided by her 4 lifetimes. SO, her average would be around 20 years before she dies, but I'll get into the ages she died in a later chapter! :D For now, just know that there was never a time when she died as a child haha!

Thank you to the reviewers: **KatanaNoNeko, Meow Orbit, Mary Chou, Cher (x2), Rein Serenity, shootingstarssel, Firefly9917, vaneanime, Guest, Guest, Lunar13, KarinStalker24, Guest, valerioux, Guest, MasterGildarts, KJacket, Alexa60765, stranger1999, ThaDesperado64, MissVarta, Kauia, beefcakebarbierenewed, jasminesinwonderland, animeflower107, Mannyegb, Guest, Sun Hee, Nalulove, OneLivesAgain, Selfish Reader, FlameDragonHime.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** PREPARE FOR A COMPLETE OVERLOAD OF NALU! I really like this chapter, so I'm hoping you guys do too! Gray will make a minor appearance, but other than that, the rest of the FT gang isn't there! It's time for the nalu! :D

BTW, the first part of this chapter is a bit NSFW so don't read if you aren't into that!

* * *

Chapter 9

Cutting Class

"I'm mad at you."

Natsu quirked a brow, a small, curious frown resting on his face. He had just woken up and checked his phone as if it was the morning newspaper- which he doubted anybody actually read- when he saw the new text, surprised to find Lucy's name appear on his screen. During his sleep, he had forgotten that he gave her his number.

"Whatcha mad about?" Natsu typed back. He couldn't remember doing anything bad.

Seeing as how Lucy's text was sent almost half an hour ago and that she should be in her creative writing class, the boy didn't expect to get a reply. So, he started getting ready for math. He could ask what she was mad about then.

Still, waiting caused his nerves to be a jumbled mess. He didn't want Lucy to be mad, especially with him.

Glancing towards the other half of the room, Natsu noticed that Gray still wasn't back, which meant he was probably going to get ready with Juvia. He had no clue how Cana could put up with that. There had been times when he came back to his room, only to hear loud clapping noises coming from inside his room, along with Juvia's breathy moans. Knowing what it meant, he turned and ran the opposite direction every time.

Sex wasn't something that appealed Natsu. Sure, he had woken up with his body aroused before, to which he would give in to his body's demands, but he never had a strong desire for it. He never pictured a specific girl as he jerked himself, only the shape of a woman.

As his body naturally woke up hard, Natsu headed towards the shower, turning it on to a mild temperature before removing his clothes. Stepping inside, he wrapped his hand around his length and began to pump, closing his eyes and trying to imagine the faceless woman he often pictured.

Only this time she had a face.

Along with golden hair, big brown eyes, and pink plump lips.

It was Lucy.

Natsu's breaths grew shaky as he felt himself close to release. He pictured Lucy in only red, lacy underwear, on top of him and giving him a lustful stare as she kissed downwards to his-

White liquid spurted out as his body shook with pleasure. He continued to pump for a few more seconds before leaning against the wet, tile walls, the water washing over him. Natsu was surprised that Lucy had infiltrated his thoughts and was even more surprised at how he welcomed her.

" _This is gonna be the death of me."_

* * *

Once Natsu finished getting dressed, he left the bathroom, steam following in his wake. Gray was finally back, grabbing his backpack.

"You finally ready to go?" Gray asked, slinging one of the straps over his shoulder.

"Been waiting on you, Ice Princess," Natsu answered.

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm not used to going to class early. You're the one that all of the sudden wants to get there ten minutes before class starts."

"Shut up, stripper."

Gray smirked. "And I know why, too. It's because you wanna see Lucy, isn't it?"

Natsu turned red in the face, glaring at his frenemy. "Is not!"

"Whatever you say, Flame Brain. You've got it bad for her!"

"I do not!"

"Do too! It's so obvious, everyone sees it! Natsu Dragneel finally has a crush on a girl!"

The pink-haired boy growled, leaping towards Gray and tackling him. A brawl erupted between the two, both of them throwing merciless punches and kicks all the while shouting out lame insults. By the time they were finished, Natsu had a black eye and Gray's lip was busted.

Begrudgingly, the two started to walk to school together. Their walks usually consisted of fights and petty comments, but this time they walked in silence. Natsu's head was too wrapped around a certain blonde to be fighting with Gray.

Reaching the classroom, they made their way to their seats. Lucy wasn't there yet, which wasn't a surprise.

As much as Natsu absolutely _hated_ to admit, Gray was right for once in his life. The only reason they started coming to class earlier wasn't just because their professor was a terrifying demon, it was really because he wanted to spend as much time as he could with Lucy.

Speaking of whom, just walked in the door.

"Lucy!" Natsu greeted, waving her down and flashing her a bright grin.

The blonde's lips twitched upwards into a smile, but she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, marching to her seat next to him.

"Hey, Gray," she greeted, nodding at the dark-haired boy, who greeted her back. Then she glared at Natsu. "I'm still mad at you."

The boy glared right back at her. "Yeah, about that, I didn't do anything wrong as far as I can remember! What are you mad about?"

"You never texted me last night like you promised!"

"Oho, already exchanged numbers, huh?" Gray teased, smirking at them.

"Shut up, Gray," Lucy replied with a roll of her eyes. She smacked Natsu's arm. "I told you to text me when you got home so that I knew you got there safely! You never texted me and I stayed up, waiting for you! I got worried so I called Levy-chan and thankfully _she_ told me that she saw you go back to Fairy Tail! Which by the way, you guys are always there! When do you guys go home?"

Natsu blinked once, then twice. "Oh shit, I totally forgot about that."

"See! That's why I'm mad at you!"

The boy only laughed, slinging an arm around the pouting girl's shoulder. It was really cute when she pouted. She would puff her cheeks out and glare at him. It was funny, too.

"My bad, my bad!" he replied, poking her cheek with his other hand. "I forgot!"

"Well next time, don't forget! I was worried you got jumped or something!" Lucy replied, frowning at him.

"Me? Get jumped? Lucy, nobody in their right mind would try jumping me. You see these abs?"

Lucy's eyes moved on their own, glancing towards Natsu's perfectly chiseled abs. Her tongue darted out, licking her lips before she shook her head, her face set ablaze.

"Just because you have abs doesn't mean you can beat up anyone!" she said, slapping his arm again.

"It's not just the abs, Luce! I fight people all the time! It's fine!"

"That is _not_ fine. Normal people don't fight people all the time!"

"What do you know about normal? You're the weirdest one here!"

Lucy scoffed, glancing towards Gray. "Tell me I'm not wrong."

The boy only shrugged. "I don't know. You are pretty weird, Lucy."

"What!?"

The two boys snickered at the blonde's expense, to which she started pouting again. Still, she couldn't hold back the smile that ghosted her lips. It was really starting to feel like she had been friends with them her whole life.

It felt normal.

As Aquarius entered the classroom, everyone knew to shut their mouths. Lecture was starting.

Lucy pulled out her journal. Turning her head, she found Natsu grinning at her smugly, knowing that she would want to write and silently teasing her. Opening her journal, she tried to shield it away from his prying eyes with her arm.

Natsu gave an amused smirk. So she wanted to try to hide it, huh? As if that would work on him. Right as Aquarius turned to write on the board, he snatched her journal away at the speed of light, stifling laughter as she quietly gasped and turned to give him a death stare.

Lucy huffed in annoyance and reached for her journal, but Natsu held it out of her reach. She scooched her chair closer to him, but she still couldn't get it back. Curse his long, muscular, toned, tanned arms. Warmth flooded her cheeks, realizing that she was just ogling Natsu's arms. Remembering the task at hand, she scooted even closer to the boy, their chairs right against each other.

Natsu was trying not to explode in laughter, but it was hard seeing Lucy's annoyed face and her futile efforts of getting her journal back.

"Give it back, Natsu!" Lucy whispered, reaching as far as she could.

"Nah," he replied. He kept his eyes on Aquarius, hoping that she wouldn't turn back around.

"Yes!"

Lucy tilted her chair, balancing on its two right legs. With her elongated reach, she was just centimeters away from her journal. She could feel victory just within her reach. With one last push towards Natsu, she finally snatched her journal back.

And her chair fell to the side in the process, Lucy draped over Natsu's lap.

Natsu's face immediately matched his hair and he willed himself not to harden beneath her, but feeling her breasts squished against his thighs, he was going to need a miracle. Making it worse, Lucy's chair fell over with a loud thud. Everyone turned towards them, Aquarius included.

A vein ticked in the professor's forehead and she threw a marker at Natsu's head.

"Out. Both of you," she gritted out.

Lucy was red as a tomato as she lifted herself from Natsu's lap. Avoiding meeting anyone's gaze, she shoved her things in her bag and scurried out of the classroom in sheer mortification. Natsu followed her, but he tried to appear nonchalant about it, as if he wasn't just trying to conceal a boner.

Gray covered his face with a hand, his body shaking as he held in his laughter.

" _Idiots."_

* * *

Once the door closed behind Natsu, Lucy glared at him.

"This is all your fault!" she shouted.

"My fault? What the hell are you talkin' about? You're the one bein' all crazy leaning in your chair and tackling me!" Natsu argued.

"I didn't tackle you, I fell! And I only fell because _you_ stole my journal!"

"Well then maybe you shouldn't try to hide it next time, Luce!"

"Or you could just not try to read my story! Ugh, I can't believe I got kicked out of class!"

Natsu grinned at the girl. "Who cares? Now we can have some real fun! C'mon, Luce!" Grabbing her hand before she could refuse, he dragged her away from the classroom. He had a place in mind that he'd been wanting to go to lately with the rest of his friends, but now he just wanted to spend some alone time with Lucy.

They ran throughout town, Lucy's legs threatening to give out on her. She was about to ask Natsu for a break when he suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around, and caught her by the arms as she ran into his chest. He had a unique smell, like that of pine trees and a campfire. She didn't know any other boy with that scent, but she found it comforting. It reminded her of her first lifetime, when she used to go camping with her parents.

"We're here!" Natsu exclaimed giddily.

Lucy, forgetting how close she was to the boy, checked her surroundings. There was a large building in front of them, one that she had never seen before- she never really went out, after all. Reading the sign above the building, she arched a brow.

"You want to play laser tag?" she asked.

"Yeah! It'll be fun! Come on!" he replied, grabbing her hand.

Lucy was too stunned to speak, only staring at their joined hands. His hand was warm and calloused. Her writer's brain persisted that their hands fit perfectly together, as if made for each other.

Natsu dealt with paying the cashier, who then led them to a room full of gear. The cashier, a boy that looked around their age with brown hair, stared Lucy up and down.

"Here, I can help you put on the vest," he offered.

A low growl resonated in Natsu's throat as he walked up to them. "No thanks. I'll help her."

The cashier backed away after being given a death stare. Lucy, oblivious to the tension around her as her mind was still warped around holding hands with Natsu, was still as he stood behind her, holding her vest. She could feel his insane body heat. A tingling sensation erupted between her thighs and warmth pooled in the pit of her stomach as he helped her put on her vest.

 _"What is wrong with me?"_ she wondered, a blush working its way over her face.

Natsu wasn't fairing any better. Even though the task wasn't intimate, he couldn't help but feel jolts of electricity shoot through his body from the slightest of touches. Once he got the vest on her, his heart was beating a mile a minute as he lifted her hair out from underneath it.

Trying to seem unaffected, Natsu turned to the cashier after helping Lucy. "So? Can we go in now?"

The cashier went over the rules really quickly before letting them enter the room. They took different entrances so that they didn't start off next to each other.

Lucy was excited and also scared as she walked into the dark room. There were neon lights helping guide the way so that she wouldn't trip, which she was grateful for. Scurrying through the room, which had barricades and carnival mirrors, the girl tried to find Natsu and land a hit on him.

All of the sudden, her vest lit up and her gun made a noise. Reading the tiny screen on her gun, she saw that Natsu had shot her.

Glancing around, she tried to pinpoint Natsu's location, but the boy was stealthy, fast, and in it to win it. Lucy ran away from that spot, hoping to lose the boy in the maze of barriers. Tiptoeing through the dark room, she kept her eyes peeled.

A flash of pink went by, and Lucy's vest was lit up again as she was shot.

"That's it!" she cried, chasing after Natsu. She ran, hoping that she wouldn't run into anything or trip. She saw Natsu turn a corner and she continued to follow him. Once she turned the corner, a scream left her mouth as the boy was waiting for her, a wide grin stretched over his face as he shot her.

"You're pretty bad at this, Lucy!" he said.

"Shut up! It's my first time!" she replied, slapping his arm. She could feel his muscles from the touch, and a fire was lit in her stomach again.

Natsu laughed before running off again. Lucy tried to keep up, but the boy was too fast for her. If she couldn't beat him physically, she would have to do so with her smarts.

Lucy knelt down on the floor, holding her knee with one hand and her gun in the other.

"Ow, my leg!" she cried out.

In seconds, she heard Natsu's feet stomping towards her as he ran up to her and crouched. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Lucy shook her head, keeping her face down so that he couldn't see the smirk resting on it. "No. My leg really hurts!"

Natsu reached out towards the girl to help her up when suddenly, she pressed the barrel of her gun against his chest and smiled at him.

"Just kidding," she said, shooting him square in the chest.

Natsu was stunned, watching as Lucy laughed and rose to her feet. Then, she ran away.

The corners of his lips curled upwards into a wide grin. "Oh you're so dead, Lucy!"

* * *

Once the timer ended, the two were laughing as they exited the room. Natsu had won by quite a bit, but Lucy did manage to get in a few points of her own, even without tricking him.

"That was fun!" she exclaimed after being led back to the room that held the gear. There were more people there now, all of them being kids. "Can we play again?"

"Yeah! But it won't be just us this time since other people are here now, if that's cool with you," Natsu replied.

"I'm fine with that! Come on! I have to beat you this time now that I've got the hang of it!"

"In your dreams!"

This time, they played in teams, Natsu the leader of one team and Lucy with the other. She was a little embarrassed being an adult playing with a bunch of kids, but she was having too much fun to care. Everything with Natsu was a fun adventure she never wanted to end.

Natsu gathered the kids on his team in a pep circle.

"Alright, Team Dragneel," he said, crouching to be on the same level as the kids. "It's time we go to war and defeat our enemy!" The kids cheered and laughed.

Lucy couldn't help but smile, watching Natsu entertain the kids. She never would've expected him to be good with kids, but he seemed to fit right in. She had to show that she was just as good as him.

"Alright, Team Heartfilia!" she said, smiling at her group. "All that matters is we have fun! But at the same time, let's try to beat that guy over there, okay?" Her team cheered.

Finally, they were released into the room, taking separate entrances again.

Lucy, not wanting to shoot any of the kids on Natsu's team, searched only for the leader himself. When she found him, she lifted her gun and grinned, happy to be behind him and unseen. Creeping towards him, she was surprised when one of the little boys on her team approached him.

"Put your hands up!" the boy shouted, pointing his gun at Natsu.

Natsu feigned shock and did as he was told, getting down on his knees. "Don't shoot, don't shoot!"

"You're coming with me!" the kid replied. "I've taken the leader of Team Dragneel!"

With that, all of the kids started screaming and running around trying to either save their leader, or in the case of Lucy's team, trying to keep Natsu away from his team.

Lucy giggled to herself, watching Natsu be led around by a kid not even half of his size. She could make out a smile on his face. He was letting the kid win.

" _He really is good with kids,"_ she thought. It was a very cute trait to have, and she could tell that her crush on him was only growing. " _This is going to be the death of me."_

* * *

Once the timer ran out, everyone left the room with happy smiles plastered to their faces. In the end, Lucy's team won, which she continued to rub in Natsu's face.

"You guys fought well," Natsu said to his team. "Next time, we'll win!"

"Aye!" they shouted.

Natsu and Lucy waved goodbye to the children before heading outside of the building. The sun was beginning to set, the sky painted brilliant shades of orange and pink.

"That was really fun," Lucy said, beaming at the boy. "I totally forgot we got kicked out of class for a while!"

"Told you it'd be fun!" Natsu replied. "Maybe we should get kicked out more often!"

"No thank you! Just the one time was plenty enough for me! Starting on Monday, I'm going to try to get on Aquarius' good side."

"I don't think anyone is on that crazy lady's good side. I don't even think she has a good side to begin with."

"Well then I'll be the first!"

Without even voicing where they were going, the two wound up in front of Lucy's apartment. Heading inside, they plopped on the couch, tired from their day of running around.

"What's for dinner, Chef Lucy?" Natsu asked.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I'm making myself spaghetti, and you're going back to Fairy Tail or your own place to make yourself some dinner." A thought then occurred to her. "Speaking of your own place, I say we go there next time! It's not fair that we're always at my apartment! I want to see yours too!"

Natsu's stomach churned. There was no way he could bring her back to his place considering he lived in the basement of Fairy Tail with the rest of the immortals. He wished Erza and the others were there to help him out of this mess of a situation.

With an awkward chuckle, Natsu said, "Trust me, you don't wanna see my place! It's a mess!"

"Then I'll help you clean it!" Lucy replied, placing her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes at him. "I refuse to be the only one offering their place for hangout sessions! I demand to see your apartment, Natsu Dragneel!"

"You really don't wanna-"

"Yes I do! Tomorrow!"

"But Lucy-!"

"No buts! I am going to your place whether you want me to or not considering you invite yourself over to my place!"

Natsu bit back a frown. He didn't want her thinking that he didn't want her over. He would've _loved_ to bring her to the basement of Fairy Tail and show her his room and introduce her to the rest of the immortals that couldn't leave. But he couldn't.

Still, seeing the stubborn look on her face, Natsu was beginning to think he wasn't going to have a choice.

"O-Okay," he said without thinking. Erza was going to strangle him later.

Immediately, Lucy's face lit up with joy, making him temporarily forget his violent fate.

"Yay! I can't wait to see what your apartment looks like!" she gushed, clasping her hands together. "And it better not be too messy! You really should be taking care of it!"

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu said, rolling his eyes at her nags. He smirked at her. "You already offered you'd help clean, no backing out now."

Lucy would've felt trepidation had she not been excited to finally go to a friend's place. It had been too long since she had done so, and she couldn't help but feel eager.

"I guess I'll make you some spaghetti too," she said.

"I want extra meatballs!"

"Fine, fine. Why don't you look for a movie we can watch while we eat?"

As Lucy started to boil some water, she glanced towards Natsu. He was leaning back on her sofa with his feet on the coffee table and scrolling through Netflix. Even from where she stood, she could see his abs. Heat rushed to her face.

" _Natsu and I went to play laser tag, and now we're at my place for dinner and a movie. Is this a date?"_

Lucy felt tingly at the thought of being on her first date in lifetimes. Could she consider it a date? Neither of them specified that it was, they were just going with the flow of things after having been kicked out of class. Even if she considered a date, did Natsu?

Seeing him with a carefree, nonchalant grin, she figured he didn't. Which, if she was being honest with herself, put a bit of a damper on her mood. Being friends with Natsu was great, and she didn't want to rush into anything- they hadn't even been friends for a week, after all. But the thought of being on a date with her crush made her happy, and there wasn't anyone else she'd rather go on a date with.

Forcing a smile to her face, Lucy began making the spaghetti. Even if Natsu didn't consider it a date, the girl could indulge herself by telling herself she was on a date with her crush.

"Do you like horror movies?" Natsu asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. He saw that her cheeks were pink, wondering if it was because of the boiling water warming her face up.

"Uhh, I guess so," Lucy answered. "But I do tend to watch them with my fingers covering my eyes."

"Really? Wimp."

"Hey!"

Natsu cackled. "Is there a specific genre you like?"

Lucy flushed and fiddled with her fingers. "Not necessarily…" But Natsu saw straight through her.

"Oh, please! It's obvious there is one! Tell me!"

"You probably wouldn't like it!"

"Who cares? C'mon, tell me, Lucy!"

"I like romcoms!"

"Knew it," Natsu said with a smirk, turning his gaze back towards the TV.

"They're amazing, thank you very much!"

"I never said they weren't!"

"And they are cute!"

"Sure, sure!"

Natsu chuckled to himself, scrolling through the romantic comedy section of Netflix. They all looked really corny, and they definitely weren't his go-to kind of movie, but he would watch anything Lucy wanted.

Finding a movie that was practically the poster of all romcoms- blonde girl dressed in all pink as she held her chihuahua on a leash while her friends and romantic interest stood behind her- Natsu shrugged. At least there would be a dog in this movie.

Lucy brought over two plates of spaghetti, handing one to Natsu, who thanked her with a grin.

"What movie did you choose?" she asked.

Natsu shrugged. "It's called Legally Blonde."

Lucy squealed. "I love this movie so much! Good choice, Natsu! Who knew you had such an eye for awesome movies!"

The two sat next to each other, their thighs touching as the movie started to play. They ate their spaghetti and watched as the heroine got dumped by her boyfriend, studied her ass off with her supportive friends, and made it into one of the most prestigious schools of the country. They laughed together when she landed the outcast a date, were angry together when her boss tried to cop a feel, and cried together as she fought with her friend and left school.

Luckily, the ending worked out for the female lead, and she graduated as valedictorian. Natsu cheered for her, hugging Lucy, who giggled at his antics. For someone who wasn't into romcoms, he sure was loving this one.

"That movie was awesome!" Natsu said, pumping a fist in the air.

"I told you it's good!" Lucy replied. With a victorious grin, she continued, "I figured you thought these kinds of movies were corny."

"Romcoms are corny, Lucy. But this isn't just some romcom! This is so much more! It's about a girl sticking it to all of the people that doubted her! There was barely even any romance."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You must be dense if you didn't notice all the romance."

"I don't see why everyone says that about me," Natsu replied, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning back. "I'm not that dense. I know which girls I find pretty. And I always know who is into who. And for your information, I've had a girlfriend before!"

Lucy's gut churned with what she knew was jealousy. "You have?"

"Yep!" Natsu chuckled lightly. "But it didn't last long or go very far."

"What happened?"

"Ehh, I don't know. She asked me out and I said no at first because I didn't like her like that, and she actually told me that she was okay with working our way up until I got feelings for her, but I wasn't into that. I felt like if I was actually gonna date somebody, I'd want to actually like them. But then Gray and Gajeel kept buggin' me about never having a girlfriend before. So then I just went for it."

"Did you ever develop feelings for her?" Lucy asked, hoping that he would say no.

To her delight, he shook his head. "Nah. That's why I ended it. We never really did anything, and it didn't last long."

Lucy felt a smile creeping up on her face. She was glad that she and Natsu were in the same boat. It made her feel less embarrassed about not having any experience.

Natsu glanced at her, staring at her with such an intensity, it felt like he was staring into her soul.

"What about you?" he asked. "Any boyfriends?"

Lucy blushed. "O-Of course! I've had plenty of boyfriends!"

He narrowed his eyes at her, analyzing her. Then, a lazy grin stretched over his face. "You're lying. You're a bad liar, Lucy."

"Oh shut up," the blonde replied, shoving him. "Fine, I've only had one. And just like you, we didn't go very far and we didn't last long."

"What happened?"

"Well, we started out as really close friends. He would always flirt with me, but that was just his personality. He was like that with all the girls. He would ask me out every day, and I would always say no. But then one day, I decided I would give it a shot. I said yes to him." Lucy laughed, recalling the whole situation. "The look on his face was priceless. He wasn't expecting me to say yes, I was starting to think he'd back out. But he didn't."

"How did you guys break up?" Natsu asked. Truthfully, hearing about it made him a bit irritated, but he couldn't hold Lucy's past against her.

"We both just knew that we were better off as friends. So it was pretty mutual." Lucy often wondered what happened to her first boyfriend. They remained friends after their breakup, as if their minor relationship never happened. But one day, he just disappeared off the face of the planet.

"How far didja guys get?"

"We kissed once," Lucy answered, a blush staining her cheeks. "Just a little peck though, nothing too serious. I do wish it happened differently."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not that I regret who it happened with, not at all. He was my friend, I'd prefer that over a stranger. But I always hoped that my first kiss would be romantic and special, not from Spin the Bottle at a dumb party surrounded by our friends."

Natsu's jaw clenched. He couldn't deny that he was feeling a bit jealous.

"Ehh, kissing is lame anyways," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and bringing her closer to him.

"How would you know? You haven't kissed anyone!"

"I just do. Why do all that stuff when you can spend the day shooting each other at laser tag or eating spaghetti while watching movies?"

Lucy blushed from head to toe, her heart thumping wildly. Was Natsu implying that this was more than just a friendly day of fun? Was there something more to it?

Did he consider it a date?

All of these questions filled her mind, but no matter how badly she wanted answers to them, she couldn't find her voice. Just what did Natsu mean by that?

Peeking through her lashes at the boy, she was met with a carefree grin, one that was always glued to his face.

" _He probably doesn't know what he was implying,"_ Lucy thought with a sigh. Shaking her head, she forced herself to cheer up. Here she was, spending time with her new friend, and she was getting bummed out over something so little!

"You're right," she said with a smile. "That is more fun."

This time, Natsu was the one blushing, but luckily he had a scarf he could use to hide it.

Lucy glanced at her watch, surprised to find that it was nearing midnight. Not wanting her neighbors to get the wrong idea of her- not that their opinion really should've mattered- she rose from the couch with a stretch, oblivious to the way Natsu's eyes trailed her body.

"I should probably start getting ready for bed," she said, placing her hands on her hips.

Natsu swallowed thickly, unable to tear his eyes away from her curvy hips. Before his body could betray him, he shot up from the couch as well. "Sounds good! Later, Lucy!" With that, he was practically running out the door, closing it behind him.

Lucy was surprised with his sudden absence, but shrugged it off.

" _What a weird boy."_

* * *

Natsu strolled through the streets of Magnolia, his hands shoved in his pockets. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. Fishing it out of his pocket, he saw that it was a text from Lucy.

"Goodnight, Natsu. Text me when you get home this time!"

A smile etched itself on his face as he typed back, "I will this time, I promise."

He made his way back to Fairy Tail, smile staying glued to his face the entire time, even when he entered the room and heard Gray throwing insults at him. He plopped onto his bed and shot Lucy a quick text.

"I'm home. Told ya nobody would try to jump me."

She responded quickly. "I'm glad you're home safe. Goodnight, Natsu."

"Night, Lucy."

And this time, Natsu didn't go to bed feeling so alone.

* * *

 **AN:** Hope you liked that break from the angst! And for anyone that asks a question and doesn't have it answered, just know that it's because I'm saving it for a later chapter! I promise I'm not purposely ignoring you or anything! D: You'll have all your questions answered eventually! ;D

 **itsxoi:** Lucy does not die when she reaches a certain age! All of the ages that she's died have been mixed! :)

As always, thanks to everyone that reviewed:

 **KarinStalker24, MasterGildarts, Lunar13, Rein Serenity, KJacket, Cher, shootingstarssel, itsxoi, valerioux, Guest, Guest, Guest, OneLivesAgain, ThaDesperado64, KatanaNoNeko, Weevilcat, Firefly9917, Guest, stranger1999, Alexa60765, Mandapandaa, Mannyegb, YukiMC, Soul Eater Maka, Nalulove.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** THIS CHAPTER WAS SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS TO WRITE. I rewrote it a million times. But this is what I finished with, hope you guys like it. :') QOTD: What's your fav thing about FT? Mine is the friendship! I love all of the different friendships in Fairy Tail! Graylu is my brotp haha!

* * *

Chapter 11

Natsu's Apartment

As sunlight filtered through the cracks of her curtains, birds chirping their little tunes, Lucy snuggled closer to her pillow, a pleasant smile glued to her face. Her pillow was firm, her blankets were keeping her nice and warm, and Plue was perfectly snuggled between her arms in a tight embrace.

Lucy's eyes shot open.

Plue.

Plue was her puppy from her first lifetime. He wasn't around anymore.

So what was she cuddling against?

Lucy's eyes slowly trailed towards the object she was holding, which was firm beneath her. She was met with pink tufts of hair and Natsu's face as he peacefully slept, his arm tucked under her head as a pillow.

Lucy then let out a scream loud enough for all of Fiore to hear.

Scrambling out of bed, the blonde backed away until she was pressed against a wall. Her eyes were as wide as golf balls and her mouth was hung open like a fish out of water as she stared at the boy, who was now cracking a yawn and waking up.

Natsu blinked once, then twice before glancing at Lucy. Then, a wide grin spread over his face.

"Mornin', Luce!" he said with a nonchalant wave.

Lucy was struggling to form words. "Wha- What are you… What the hell are you doing sleeping in my bed!? What are you, some kind of pervert!? Get the hell out of here!"

"Oi! I ain't no pervert! That's all Gray!"

"Natsu! _What_ are you doing here!?"

The boy shrugged. "I was bored and I wanted to hang out. So, I came here and saw that you were sleepin' still, so I was gonna let you get all the time you can to sleep. You're welcome."

" _I'm_ welcome!? Natsu, that is breaking and entering! How did you even manage to get in here? Did you pick the lock!?" Lucy screeched, pacing around her room and flailing her arms everywhere.

"'Course not, ya weirdo! I climbed through the window like any other person would!"

"The… The window? Natsu, I live on the second floor, there's no way you would've been able to-" But sure enough, her window was opened a smidge and her doors were still locked. "H-How did you manage to…" She was at a loss for words.

"I climbed, duh."

"Natsu. You cannot just break into my apartment and sleep in my bed with me. Don't tell me you're too much of an idiot to realize that."

"I don't see what the big deal is. All we did was sleep. And I've been here a few times already."

"That's not the point! I-!"

Lucy glanced down at herself, remembering that she had just woken up. Adorned in pink, fluffy pajama pants and a white tank top, her hair a tangled mess, the girl closed her mouth and rushed to get a change of clothes. Running into the bathroom, she locked the door and leaned against it.

Waking up with her crush in her bed was not how she was expecting to wake up that morning, and she certainly didn't want to be seen a mess.

After changing into a pair of black shorts with daisies printed over them and a white tank-top, Lucy braided her hair to the side and brushed her teeth. Feeling refreshed, she headed out, ready to beat some sense into Natsu.

That feeling grew tenfold once she found him reading her journal.

"That's it!" Lucy shouted, rushing towards him. She kicked the side of his face, sending him flying out of the chair as she yelled, "Lucy Kick!"

Natsu yelped, falling straight on his ass and holding his cheek, which was sure to swell. "What the hell was that for, you crazy woman!?"

" _I'm_ crazy!? You're the one that broke into my apartment and read my story!"

"It's not breaking in if I don't steal anything!"

"Yes it is!"

Natsu crossed his arms with a pout, glaring at the wall. "I just wanted to spend some time with you. That too much to ask for?"

"It is if you're breaking in," Lucy answered. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Then, she recalled their conversation from last night. A sinister grin stretched over her face, which was an unusual look for her as she said, "It's okay though. Because it's time I get my revenge!"

"What do you mean?"

"You're taking me to your apartment, remember? Once I find out where you live, I can break in any time I want!"

Natsu frowned immediately. With a churning stomach, he rubbed the back of his head. He forgot that was happening. Luckily, he prepared for this last night.

 _Once he returned to Fairy Tail after hanging out at Lucy's apartment, Natsu rushed towards the basement and barged into Erza and Levy's shared room. After Erza promptly bashed his head against the wall for entering without knocking, he explained the whole situation to them._

 _"You invited her over?" Erza asked in bewilderment, punching him for his mistake. "Natsu! Why would you invite her over if you don't have an apartment to show her!?"_

 _"I don't know! She was really persistent since we keep goin' to her place! It was hard to say no without giving an actual reason!"_

 _"I could think of plenty of lies, you moron!"_

 _"Well maybe I don't wanna lie, you ever think of that?" Natsu shouted, glaring at the redhead. Usually, he knew better than to yell at Erza, but he couldn't stop himself this time. Lying was something he absolutely hated. Lying to Lucy was even worse._

 _Erza sighed. She understood where he was coming from. Immortals had no choice but to lie, and being friends with a mortal made it harder. It went against many of their morals, but they didn't have a choice._

 _"I get it, Natsu," she said. "But being immortal means that we have to take extra precautions to stay safe. Lying is one of them."_

 _"Well I never signed up to be an immortal!"_

 _"None of us did, Natsu. Do you really think that anyone would want this curse?"_

 _Natsu grew quiet before slowly shaking his head. Those that wished for immortality didn't understand the consequences._

 _"Well, let's just try to think of a way to fix this," Erza suggested, cupping her chin in thought._

 _"Is there even anything we can do?" Natsu asked, his frown growing. "I screwed up big time."_

 _"I might have an idea, actually," Levy chimed in. "We can ask Master Makarov if we can use one of the apartments under the school's name. We'll explain the situation, and we'll just use one of the rooms as yours for the day."_

 _"That's a great idea, Levy!" Natsu exclaimed, rushing over and hugging the short girl._

 _Erza arched a brow. "Do you think Lucy would fall for that?"_

 _"I don't see why not," Levy replied. "We'll just bring some of Natsu's things over there tonight and buy some toilet paper and other stuff that the apartment doesn't provide to make it more believable."_

 _"Excellent thinking, Levy."_

 _So, they made their way to Makarov's room, knocking before being allowed entrance. They explained the situation and were relieved that Makarov agreed to it- after slapping Natsu upside the head, of course._

 _Then, they gathered the rest of their group that was allowed outside of Fairy Tail and headed towards one of the apartment complexes under the school's name. It was a nice place, sparkling clean as it was waiting to be rented out. The group quickly got to work._

 _Levy and Jellal focused on the décor, framing some of Natsu's pictures. They also tacked all of his posters to the wall. Gray and Gajeel were in charge of making the place more Natsu-like, throwing his clothes on the floor and putting some dishes- that they went through the work of buying just for this occasion- into the sink. It wouldn't have been believable if the place wasn't a mess. Juvia and Natsu were in charge of stocking the pantry and the bathroom. Meanwhile, Erza was focusing on the finer details that may've seemed miniscule but brought it all together. For the sake of making it more convincing that someone was living there, she unraveled a quarter of the toilet paper roll and threw it away, sprayed some of Natsu's cologne around so that it smelled like him, and other small things._

 _They were ready._

Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "The others are gonna join us there too, is that okay?" Erza and Gajeel insisted that they'd be there to make sure he wouldn't slipup again. It was twice now in the last two days that he'd made a mistake.

"Of course!" Lucy replied with a smile. "I'm ready when you are!"

The two walked through town, engaging in idle chatter. Natsu started a game where they would see who could trip the other person the most. So far, he was winning.

"I can't wait to see your place," Lucy said, locking her hands together behind her back as she walked on the edge of the canal.

"I don't see why," Natsu replied.

"What do you mean? You were very excited to see my apartment!"

"That's different."

"How?"

"It just is!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I want to see how you decorate your place since you were so persistent about me decorating mine."

Natsu gave her a mischievous grin. "I decorate it by throwing dirty clothes on the floor. Which, by the way, you promised to help me clean."

"I did no such thing."

"You sure did!"

The two bickered back and forth, reminding her of Levy and Gajeel's relationship. Did she and Natsu look like a couple?

She hoped so.

Natsu's stomach began to churn with anxiety as the apartment complex came into view. As they got closer, dread filled his body at a sudden realization.

He didn't remember which room was his.

 _"Fuck,"_ he thought to himself, starting to sweat. It wasn't like he could just call Erza and ask which apartment was his. That would've been the most obvious thing in the world. And he couldn't just back out now. What was he supposed to do?

Luckily, his friends had prepared for this as well.

"Oi, Natsu! Lucy!" They saw Gray waving at them, probably told to stand there by Erza.

Natsu sighed in relief. "We're coming, Frosty!"

"Hi, Gray!" Lucy greeted as they approached the boy. "You beat us here!"

Gray smiled at her. "Hey, Lucy. Yeah, everyone's inside already."

"You all have keys to Natsu's apartment?"

The two boys tensed.

"Erza does," Gray lied smoothly. "She insists on having keys to all of our apartments so that she can do random checks."

"That sounds…"

"Stressful?"

"Very."

The three headed inside Natsu's apartment, Lucy walking behind the boys with baited breath. She couldn't wait to see his apartment and hang out with her new friends. When they entered the foyer and the boys moved out of her way, Lucy's jaw dropped on its hinges as she took in the state of the apartment. Clothes were everywhere, the sink was piled with dishes, and there was trash on the floor.

"Natsu! How can you live like this?" Lucy cried, feeling the urge to run out of there. Surely being in such a messy environment was a health hazard. She could only imagine what its effects were on Natsu, since he was actually _living_ there.

The boy shrugged. They did make it pretty similar to how he used to live before he joined Fairy Tail.

"I don't see what's wrong with it."

"Natsu, you have actual trash on the floor! I can understand the clothes, but old food? That's gross! And look at all those dishes in the sink! You know you have to wash them, right? They don't just wash themselves!"

The boy smirked at her. "That's what you're here for, remember? You said you'd help clean."

"I just thought it'd be a little cluttered! I didn't expect it to look like a tornado swept through here!"

"Too bad! You agreed to it so now you're gonna clean it!"

"Lucy will do no such thing," Erza said, glaring at the boy and crossing her arms. "You will clean this place by yourself. _All of it."_ That would be his punishment for inviting Lucy over in the first place.

"Flame Brains can do that later," Gray said. "For now, let's play some games."

"I'm down to kick your ass at some beer pong," Gajeel replied with an eager grin.

"You're on!"

Lucy watched the two boys relocate the chairs and move the table so that there was enough room.

Juvia, having been the one that stocked the pantry, knew where the plastic cups were kept and took it upon herself to poor some vodka into them. She and Levy situated the cups in a triangular formation on both sides of the table.

Once everything was ready, Gray and Gajeel stood on opposite sides of the table.

"Oi, I wanna join too!" Natsu shouted.

"Fine, we'll do teams. Me and Jellal against you and Gajeel," Gray replied.

Gajeel gave a look of disgust. "Why the hell do I get paired with this idiot?"

"I don't want him either!"

Lucy giggled, watching as the boys were about to start fighting- save for Jellal, who was the only level-headed one among them.

The girls watched as they took turns throwing the plastic ball, trying to get it into the cups. Gajeel was surprisingly good at the game and managed to sink the ball into half of the other team's cups before his turn ended. Gray and Jellal were forced to drink the vodka from the cups that Gajeel made it into. Now it was Jellal's turn.

Everyone was shocked as the quiet boy managed to toss the ball effortlessly into each and every single one of the cups before his turn ended.

"J-Jellal! You're like a natural at this game!" Levy exclaimed.

"He's a natural at everything," Natsu said, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "It's unfair."

"Do you play this game a lot or something?" Lucy asked Jellal.

The blue-haired boy flushed from the attention and shook his head. "I've only played once before against Erza."

"He bested me, too," the redhead chimed in.

Natsu and Gajeel grimaced as they chugged down shot after shot. Their eyes were screwed tight as they swallowed, the liquid leaving behind a burning sensation.

Lucy took to Natsu's side, trying to make sure that he didn't drink too fast. It seemed like the alcohol was already starting to have an effect on him as he glanced down at her, his cheeks rosy.

"You feeling okay?" Lucy asked with a smile.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, it'll take more than that to get me tipsy."

"Really? Because your face is red."

Natsu's eyes widened and the tint of his cheeks grew deeper. He ducked his face behind his scarf. In truth, he was blushing because she was so close to him. But he was glad he had an excuse this time.

"O-Oh, yeah. I guess I feel it a little."

Lucy opened her mouth to reply when Erza's voice rang out.

"It's our turn!" she said with an eager grin. "Which one of you girls would like to be on my team?"

The rest of the girls fidgeted. Being put on Erza's team made things harder as she took everything seriously. Luckily, Juvia took one for the team.

"Juvia will be on Erza-san's team," she said.

Natsu smirked at Lucy. "Looks like you're up."

The blonde smiled back at him. "I guess so. Though, I'm not going to be any good at it. I've never played this game before. I've only watched from the side."

"That's lame! C'mon! Go show me whatcha got!"

Lucy nodded, taking her place by Levy. Even though she was sure they were going to lose, it was still exciting to play with them. Being given the ball first, the blonde bounced it off the table and tried to get it to land in any of the cups. Miraculously, it sank into one of the middle cups.

Erza smirked, picking up the plastic cup, throwing her head back, and downing its contents.

"Go again, Lucy," she said, tossing the ball back to her.

Lucy nodded. This time, she tried throwing it instead of bouncing. She ended up using too much pressure and the ball flew straight over the table.

"My turn!" Erza said, retrieving the ball. With great precision, she dunked it into a cup. Levy took a shot. The redhead made it again. Now Lucy took a shot.

Once Erza finally missed a shot- followed by her cursing- only three cups were left on Lucy and Levy's side. Levy grabbed the ball and cutely tossed it to the other side. It bounced once before landing in one of the cups. This time, it was Juvia's turn to drink. Levy tried to make another shot, but she missed.

"You've got this, Juvia!" Erza cheered as the blue-haired girl grabbed the ball.

Juvia swallowed thickly, hoping that she wouldn't disappoint the redheaded tyrant. Throwing the ball, she sunk it over and over again into the last three cups. Lucy and Levy grimaced, forcing the vodka down.

Lucy's chest felt warm from the alcohol in her circulation. After just one game, the girl was already starting to feel buzzed. She'd always been a light drinker. And with her slight tipsiness came a boost of confidence.

"Wait, I wanna play again!" she said, shoving Gray away, who was trying to play. "I think I've got the hang of it now!"

"Oho? You're challenging me to a rematch?" Erza questioned with a smirk and crossed arms. "Fine. Let's go."

And that was how the next thirty minutes transpired, with Lucy challenging Erza to countless of beer pong games and losing each one. By the end of their third game, her steps were wobbly and her speech was slurred.

"Again!" the blonde cheered.

"Uhh, I think you've had enough to drink," Gray said.

"Yeah, you should slow down," Natsu added. He grabbed a water bottle and held it out towards Lucy, who turned away from it with a huff.

"No! I don't wanna ssslow down!"

"Well too bad, you weirdo! Drink the water!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

A vein ticked in Natsu's forehead and his brows furrowed. Then, an idea popped into his head. With a smug grin he said, "Oi, Lucy. I bet I can drink more water than you."

Lucy gave him a glare. She snatched the water bottle out of his hand. "You're on!" She chugged it down in seconds. "I win!"

"Yeah, yeah, you win. Now let's get you home."

"I don't wanna go home!"

"Too bad. C'mon, Lucy. You're drunk."

The girl frowned at him. She fiddled with her hands. "Do… Do you not want me here?"

At this, Natsu blanched. "What? Of course I do, you weirdo! I'm just tryna be a good friend!"

"Friend?"

"Yeah! We're friends, right?"

The blonde smiled and nodded, latching onto his arm in a fashion similar to Juvia when it came to Gray. "Yeah. Best friends forever!"

"Hey! What about me!?" Levy cried.

Lucy laughed. "You too, Levy-chan! Best friends forever!"

"Good!"

Natsu sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to convince Lucy to go home. So, he was going to make sure to keep an eye on her. Which he was glad he did, because she looked like she was going to topple over any minute. Just to be safe, he looped an arm around her waist.

Lucy leaned into his side, savoring the warmth of his body. He was like her own personal heater.

"You're warm," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

Natsu chuckled, glancing down at her. "Yeah, I've been told."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you warm?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

Lucy peeked at him through her lashes and gave him a smile that had his heart missing a beat. "It's because you're a dragon!"

Natsu grinned, raising a fist in the air. "Yosh! I'm a dragon!"

"A cute dragon!"

Natsu's cheeks turned red immediately and his body grew even warmer. Here he was, standing with his crush leaning against him and calling him cute. Was he hallucinating? "You think I'm cute?"

"Duh! A cute dragon!"

Natsu opened his mouth to reply when he heard a groan coming from his right.

Gray rolled his eyes, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Can you two lovebirds get a room already? You're seriously grossing me out."

Natsu gently pulled Lucy away from him and got her to hold hands with Levy. Once he knew she was taken care of, he turned back towards Gray and lunged at him, all the while shouting obscenities. Gajeel gave a smug grin before joining the fray. The three boys brawled it out, not bothering to pay attention to their surroundings, bumping into Erza and sending her crashing into a wall.

The three boys gulped, watching as Erza turned to give them a look that could freeze all of hell. And with such tenacity like that of a demon, the redhead lunged at them and joined the fight. Everyone else watched, sighing.

Lucy could barely keep up with their fights when she was sober. Now that she was drunk, it was only worse.

Punches were thrown, kicks were delivered, and curse words were shouted as they fought. Natsu avoided a kick from Gray and cheered in victory before being punched by Erza. Not having had his feet grounded, he was sent flying backwards. His arm scraped against the corner of his table. Injuries were common in their fights, and he was going to jump right back in when he heard someone gasp.

Lucy.

"Natsssu, you're bleeding!" she shouted, shaking off Levy's hold on her.

Trepidation struck Natsu, and he tried to shield his arm away from Lucy, who was stumbling towards him. He'd forgotten she was there. Everyone else, finally realizing the problem at hand, became still as a rock.

Lucy arched a brow, seeing how Natsu was trying to avoid showing her his wound. With a pout, she quickly snatched his arm to inspect it. She felt Natsu tense as she pushed his sleeve upwards to get a good look. Finally, she found the scrape.

"That's a lot of blood, Natsssu," Lucy said, her words still slurred.

"I-It's not that bad," the boy replied, trying to pull his arm back. But Drunk Lucy was strong and persistent.

Lucy squinted at the injury. For a lot of blood, the scrape sure was small. There was a faint sizzling sound coming from Natsu's arm. Lucy watched with wide eyes as his scrape slowly started to close and heal on its own.

"Whoa," she breathed out.

Everyone's stomach dropped to the floor. She noticed it. Erza took slow steps towards Lucy, her hand ready to strike. She needed to do something. Knocking her out and bringing her back to her place would be the best course of action. Lucy would think that it was just a dream.

Natsu grimaced, watching Erza. He knew her intentions, he just wished there was another method. He didn't want Lucy to get hurt.

"I must be super drunk," Lucy said just as Erza was about to hit her. "Because it looked like your arm healed itself. Maybe I need to lay down for a bit." She cracked a yawn.

Natsu raised his brows. Then, he thought of another idea. "Whaaat? That's weird, Luce! Arms don't just heal themselves!"

"I know, I know," Lucy said with a laugh, shaking her head. "I really am a lightweight!"

"Maybe we should get your body more tolerated to it, huh? C'mon, let's play more games!"

"Okay! Games!"

Natsu gestured towards everyone to set up beer pong again. They shared a quick, confused glance before doing so.

"It'll just be me and you, Lucy," Natsu said once things were ready.

"Okay," the blonde said. She was swaying in her spot, already pretty drunk as it is.

Natsu took the ball and tried his best to make it. He made it into all but two of the cups before his turn ended. Lucy laughed before chugging down the contents of all the cups. Natsu winced. She was going to wake up with a huge hangover tomorrow morning, but he figured that would be better than having Erza hit her.

Natsu didn't know if his plan would work. He hoped that having Lucy drink more would make her forget about tonight's events. If not, then he would never be able to talk to her again.

Lucy laughed as she threw the ball. Being drunk, she was way off base.

It was Natsu's turn again. He took the ball and threw it into the last two cups, wincing as Lucy threw her head back and downed them both. Her eyes were half lidded and her skin looked a bit sickly and covered in sweat. Natsu knew that look.

Rushing towards her, Natsu led her towards the bathroom and lifted the lid. Lucy bent over immediately and began to puke. He held back her hair, knowing that it's what she would've wanted him to do and stayed by her as she continued to throw up. Guilt ebbed at him, knowing that he was responsible for this, but he knew that it was best to keep their secret safe.

Lucy could never know the truth.

"You're okay, Lucy," Natsu assured, rubbing circles on her back with one hand. "Get it all outta your system."

The girl nodded, throwing up some more. She let out a whimper once she was done, flushing the toilet.

"Let's get you home now, Luce." Natsu lifted her bridal style and carried her out to join with the others. Levy ran up to them, worried.

"Is she okay?" she asked.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, just dealing with the alcohol. I'm going to take her home now." Glancing down at Lucy, he found that she was asleep with her head resting on his chest.

"Find out if she remembers anything tomorrow morning," Erza said with crossed arms. "If she does, then we have to tell Master. We messed up big time tonight. I can't believe I made such a careless mistake!"

"It'll be fine," Jellal assured.

Natsu took that as his cue to leave. It was late in the day, but there were still people outside, giving him weird glances as he carried Lucy. He just hoped none of them called the cops on him. That would make the situation even harder than it was. And it wasn't like his bloody arm was any help.

Luckily, they made it back to Lucy's apartment problem-free. He struggled to search Lucy's bag for her keys while holding her at the same time, but eventually he saw her pink lanyard. Once he managed to unlock the door, he quickly headed inside and gently placed the girl on the bed, making sure that she was laying on her side.

Natsu frowned. Lucy seemed so peaceful now. Her golden hair was splayed around her. Moonlight gently washed over her features. Her lips were slightly parted. She was angelic.

And he may have just screwed things up with her tonight.

With a dejected sigh, Natsu turned to leave when something grabbed his coat.

"Stay," Lucy said. Her voice was quiet and breathy as she was just barely awake.

Natsu swallowed thickly and nodded. If this was going to be the last time he would be able to see her, he wanted to get all the time he could. Carefully, he climbed in bed beside Lucy, making sure not to squish her in the process. He left space between them, not wanting her to think he was taking advantage of her drunkenness. Lucy seemed to have other ideas, though.

Snuggling against Natsu's side, Lucy let out a content sigh before dozing off to sleep. Natsu was still, staring at the ceiling. Even though things in the last hour were hectic, he felt at peace with her in his arms.

He never wanted it to end.

* * *

At the crack of dawn, Lucy's eyes shot wide open, a hand flying to her mouth. Ignoring the lump beside her, she shot out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom, throwing the toilet open and puking what felt like all of her insides out. After throwing up, her stomach felt better, but her head was still pounding in pain.

"Shit," she murmured, clutching her head. "What the hell happened last night?"

"You got really wasted," someone said. Lucy glanced towards the voice and found Natsu. Instead of his cheery grin, his face instead adorned a frown. He looked scared.

"What are you so scared about? It's just a hangover," Lucy assured.

"So you're okay?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm okay. But I will be."

Still, Natsu frowned. It didn't seem like she remembered, but what if memories came rushing back to her later? Lucy's next words had him thanking the heavens.

"I don't remember anything after I challenged Erza to beer pong. I clearly must've lost," she said with a chuckle.

Natsu breathed a sigh of relief, tension uncoiling in his body. And even though he hated lying to Lucy, he didn't feel so bad this time. "Yeah, you passed out right after."

"And you stayed here with me?"

Natsu gave another look of fear. "You told me to!"

"Relax," Lucy replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm not mad this time. I'm glad you were there to make sure I was okay. You're a good friend."

Guilt pierced Natsu like a sword. He wasn't a good friend. He kept a huge secret from her, got her overly drunk to cover it up, and continued to lie to her face.

"D-Don't mention it."

"You want breakfast?" Lucy asked. "I'll make us some after I get ready. I want to freshen up after all of that puking."

"Yeah, breakfast sounds good."

Lucy nodded, closing the door so that she could shower and get ready.

Natsu took out his phone and sent a quick text to Erza, letting her know that things were okay. Before he met Lucy, he never really used his phone to talk to anyone. After all, he already lived with all of his friends. He preferred talking in person. But with Lucy, he wanted to talk to her every second of the day.

Once Lucy finished getting ready, she joined Natsu in the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea, hoping it'd help with her headache. Then, she got to making breakfast.

"Next time, let's hang out without getting wasted," Lucy said.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah. You're hard to take care of when you're drunk."

"Am not!"

"Are too!" he argued with a mischievous grin. "You say things without thinking and you can't even walk straight!"

"I can handle myself just fine!"

"Oh yeah? You called me cute last night, you know."

Lucy choked on her tea, her face becoming a blushing mess. "I-I did not!"

"You sure did!" Natsu replied.

Lucy buried her head in her hands in mortification. "I can't believe I said that."

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal." Natsu fought back a blush as he continued, "You're cute too."

Lucy slowly lifted her head. "Was that a compliment?"

"Nah. Just a fact."

"You're annoying."

The two laughed together. Even though they felt a bit embarrassed, their bodies felt light. Things were easy between the two of them.

Watching Lucy cook up breakfast, a smile gracing her face, Natsu decided he would be more careful from now on. He couldn't afford to make any more mistakes with Lucy, or else he might have to stay in the basement with the rest of the immortals. And while he usually didn't mind that, he found that he didn't want to stay down there now that Lucy was in his life. He wanted her in his life, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she was.

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry if this chapter is a little sloppy. I tried my best. :') Anyways, another close call! Hope you guys liked the chapter! :D

Thank you to the reviewers: **OneLivesAgain, Rein Serenity, valerioux, KawaiiKitsune13, MissVarta, shootingstarssel, Alexa60765, KarinStalker24, Guet, mumof4, MotherofDragons1227, KJacket, Cher, Firefly9917, beefcakebarbierenewed, animeflower107 (x2), stranger1999, ThaDesperado64, KatanaNoNeko, MasterGildarts, Mandapandaa, Kauia, Mannyegb, Mary Chou, itsxoi, Guest, Guest, Soul Eater Maka, RoyaldragonSevgisi15, MidnightLuz, mushi0131 (x9), Nalulove.** You guys are very sweet to me!


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** Hello everyone! Been a while. Sorry about that, I'm working full time now and I'm not used to it yet. I'm exhausted. :') Anyways on with the chapter before I rush to work again! :'D

* * *

Chapter 11

Lucy woke with a sense of déjà vu, which didn't mean much considering she had been reincarnated a few times.

Sleeping beside her with his arms sprawled out and drool dripping from his mouth was none other than Natsu. He had such a peaceful expression as he snored. Too bad Lucy was going to disrupt his peaceful slumber.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted directly into his ear. The boy woke with a yelp, shooting out of bed.

"What's wrong!? Burglar!?" he asked, frantically whipping his head around.

A vein ticked in the blonde's forehead. "Not quite a burglar, more like a perv!"

"Oh. Is it Gray? Is he here?"

"I'm talking about you, idiot!"

Natsu relaxed immediately. "Oh. I'm not a perv, Lucy."

"Sure seems like you are with how much you love breaking into my apartment and sleeping in my bed!" Lucy argued.

"I can't help it! Your bed is way comfier than mine! And it's easier to sleep when you're with me."

Lucy couldn't help but blush. Turning away from him so that he couldn't see her face, she crossed her arms with a huff.

"I'm going to start locking my window from now on," she said.

"Fine. If you lock your window, I won't come in," Natsu replied. "Now what's for breakfast? You have class soon."

"Shit!"

During her argument with Natsu, Lucy had forgotten that she was supposed to be getting ready. Not to mention that she looked a mess at the moment. Rushing to grab her outfit for the day, the blonde rushed into the bathroom to begin getting ready, starting with a shower.

Natsu plopped back in bed.

"I guess that means she's not making breakfast."

* * *

Once Lucy finished her shower and getting dressed, she hurried out of the bathroom, a bellow of steam trailing after her. She figured that Natsu might've had to use the bathroom, so she cut her shower time short. She didn't really know why she was being so considerate to someone who had broken into her apartment yet again. It was probably because deep down she liked having him around. Before, she was always lonely. Now, her apartment was starting to feel more like a home.

Lucy arched a brow as the smell of pancakes filled her nose. Stepping into the kitchen, she found Natsu skillfully flipping a pancake before setting it on top of a fresh stack.

"You made breakfast?" she asked, her mouth parted in shock.

"Yeah! I figured if I didn't, you would go to class without eating since you're running a lil' late. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know," he replied with a smile.

Lucy's face grew warm as he gestured for her to sit down. He set a plate in front of her, stacking two pancakes on top of it. She couldn't help but feel like they were a married couple, and she imagined him making her breakfast in bed and waking her up with forehead kisses.

"What do ya like on your pancakes?" Natsu asked with a grin. "Butter and syrup?"

Lucy shook her head. "I prefer using whipped cream."

"Really? I've never tried that before."

Natsu opened the fridge and grabbed a can, handing it to Lucy. With a pleasant smile, she sprayed a mountain's worth of whipped cream on top of her pancakes. Excited, she cut herself a bite and popped it into her mouth. The edge had a nice crisp to it, contrasting with the fluff. It was delicious. She cut herself another bite, closer to the center of the pancake. She plopped it into her mouth.

It was raw.

Lucy refrained from spitting it out, not wanting to hurt Natsu's feelings, who was watching her with an eager grin. So, she gave him a weak smile, her mouth still full with the raw pancake, and gave him a thumbs up.

"Yosh!" Natsu cheered. "This was my first time makin' pancakes!" He watched Lucy swallow the bite in her mouth and dab her mouth with a paper towel. "Well? Keep eating! There's a lot more where that came from!"

Lucy inwardly groaned, cutting herself another piece. This time, she stayed close to the edge of the pancake, which was the only part that was actually cooked all the way. Then, she watched as Natsu grabbed himself a plate.

He chose to top his pancakes with a buttload of butter and syrup. Rather than cutting the pancake like Lucy, Natsu chose to stab it instead with his fork and take a bite out of the whole thing. He took a bite of the edge.

"I'm a pretty good chef!" he said with a grin. Then he went for another bite.

Lucy could tell from the way his face morphed from one of happiness to one of disgust that he noticed his mistake.

"Why is my pancake liquidy?" he asked, spitting it back out into a paper towel.

"You didn't cook them all the way," Lucy answered. "There was probably a problem with the temperature."

"But you said they were good!"

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings!"

Natsu stared at her, making her fidget in her seat. She was scared that she made him mad by lying to him. Then, he burst with laughter.

"So you chose to eat raw pancakes instead? You're so weird, Luce!" he exclaimed, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

Lucy laughed too. "I was just trying to be nice, jerk." Glancing at the time, she found that she had to go to class. "I have to go now. Are you just going to wait here before math class?"

"What? 'Course not, weirdo. I'm walkin' you to class," he replied, giving her a look as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I already got ready before I came here. Let's go!"

Butterflies swarmed through Lucy's belly as she followed Natsu out the door. Waking up in bed by him, having him cook her breakfast, and now he was walking her to school? Her crush wasn't just cute. He was also very sweet and thoughtful and funny and… Well, she could go on and on about him. Point is, she was starting to believe her feelings ran deeper than a mere crush at this point.

Lucy genuinely liked Natsu.

Even though she read countless of romance novels, she wasn't rushing to call it love like the authors of her favorite stories did. She was nowhere near being in love with Natsu. But while she was getting to know him, her crush turned into something deeper. She didn't know when it happened, but it did.

And now her body was betraying her even more than before. She felt like her face was constantly warm and red. It was a miracle Natsu didn't seem to notice.

Lucy glanced towards Natsu. His arms were crossed behind his head as they walked, a happy smile glued to his face. He seemed content in their silence.

She wondered if he would ever feel the same towards her. Not that it really mattered. She treasured their friendship, so even if he never reciprocated her feelings, she would be happy regardless.

But that didn't mean she couldn't hope.

"I'll wait for you here," Natsu said once they reached the classroom.

"You don't have to wait for me," Lucy replied. "Class is over an hour long. Why don't you get some food or something? We never really got to eat breakfast after the raw pancake incident."

"Yeah, I guess that sounds good. Okay, well I'll come back before you get out so we can go to math together!"

"Okay. See you later, Natsu."

"Later, Luce."

The girl waved before heading into the classroom. Resting her hand over her heart, she tried to calm herself down, but her efforts were futile. She felt as though she and Natsu were dating, though really he was just an overly friendly guy.

"Hey, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted, waving her down.

"Good morning, Lucy," Jellal said.

The blonde smiled at them. "Hey, guys! Do you two walk together to school or something? You guys always get here before me!"

Levy gave an awkward chuckle. "Yeah. We live close to each other."

"That's weird. You live by Natsu too. And the other day at Fairy Tail, you said you all live close to Fairy Tail, so that means you all live near each other."

"I-I guess so! Weird, huh? Anyways, what's got you so smiley this morning?"

Lucy arched a brow. Levy was acting strange, but she shrugged it off. "I was walking to school with Natsu. He snuck into my apartment this morning and made me breakfast."

"Aww! You're making progress with your crush!"

"Levy-chan!" Lucy cried, frantically whipping her head towards Jellal.

The boy smiled at her. "Don't worry, I won't tell Natsu. It is pretty obvious, however, I'm surprised he hasn't noticed it himself."

Lucy groaned and buried her head in her arms on top of the desk. "Great. Does everyone know about my feelings for Natsu?"

"Everyone but the boy himself."

"How embarrassing!"

"It's not embarrassing, Lu-chan! It's actually really cute," Levy said. "Natsu's never really been interested in girls before and he's totally crushing on you now!"

"Oh please, that boy is not crushing on me. He just has boundary issues."

Levy rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. And it's cute that you have a crush on Natsu too! Most girls obsess over Gray or Jellal over here." The said boy blushed. "So it's nice to see someone fall for Natsu for a change! It's like puppy love!"

"You saying that is making it even more embarrassing somehow."

"I think you two would make an amusing couple," Jellal said.

Lucy groaned. Before Levy or Jellal could say anything more on the matter, Capricorn entered the room like her knight in shining armor, saving her from further humiliation.

"Good morning, class," the older man greeted, situating himself at his desk. "As always, we will start with our morning prompt." Uncapping a marker, he wrote a single word on the chalkboard. Love. "Do not be fooled. While some may believe that this is the easiest topic to write about, it is truly one of the most challenging. Try to stray from the cliché portrayals of love. Writing something unique about love is difficult, so try your hardest. You have twenty minutes starting now."

Lucy opened her journal and uncapped her favorite pen. She tapped her chin, trying to come up with something to write. Capricorn had a point. Many love stories did all revolve around the same clichés. How was she going to be original?

Images of a certain pink-headed boy with a devilish smile popped in her head.

And suddenly, writing about love didn't seem so hard.

* * *

Natsu headed towards one of his favorite food places on campus. They served an array of breakfast foods, his favorite being an ultimate meat lovers bagel sandwich. It had salami, ham, turkey, and roast beef sandwiched between two toasted bagels. It was to die for.

As Natsu made it to the front of the line, his eyes landed on the display case full of muffins. He wasn't really fond of muffins, but he wondered if Lucy would want one. Just like him, she never got the chance to actually eat breakfast that morning.

Natsu ordered his usual, along with the sweetest looking muffin they had for Lucy. He didn't know if she would like it or not, but at least she would have something to eat since he messed up breakfast.

* * *

Lucy's hands moved fast as she wrote what came to mind. Every thought, every feeling, she wrote it down. It wasn't the most concise writing, but it was original.

Twenty minutes went by in the blink of an eye and soon enough, Capricorn was clearing his throat and gaining the class' attention.

"I hope that everyone managed to write something unique," he said, swirling the popsicle sticks around in the cup.

Lucy swallowed thickly, staring at the sticks in fear. So far, she hadn't been called on to read her writing, and she prayed today wouldn't be any different.

"Bora. Hand over what you've written," Capricorn instructed.

Lucy allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. So far so good. She just had to manage to get through another two rounds without getting called on.

"Your writing is a bit bland," Capricorn criticized. Lucy felt bad for the boy. "Too cliché. Hopefully the next person I call on will do better."

Lucy was glad that someone else got called on. This person did much better in terms of being unique. They chose to write about familial love instead of romance. The only criticism Capricorn gave was to use better descriptive words.

"Alright, last person," Capricorn said, stirring the sticks once again. He reached into the cup and pulled out a popsicle stick.

Absolute dread washed over Lucy as he stared right at her.

"Lucy. Hand me your prompt."

At first, she was paralyzed. She hadn't had anyone- well, save for Natsu's nosy ass- read her work before. And having Capricorn, who was no stranger to giving harsh criticism, read it aloud to the entire class was beyond terrifying. With a shaky hand and a pale face, the girl surrendered her journal.

She wanted to vanish from existence with how embarrassed she felt.

Capricorn cleared his throat. "Alright. Here we go. 'Love. It smells like a campfire. It barges in when you aren't ready and surprises you with its sudden appearance. Love is like a fire, mesmerizingly beautiful, but will burn you if you get too close. It's like walking through a dark tunnel. You don't know what to expect and you're scared you're going to get hurt, but you hope for the best and keep pushing through. Love is feeling free like a child on a summer's day. Love is warm hands massaging your scalp when you're sick or even holding the other's hair back after a night of drinking. Love is trying to make the most out of what little time you have left together. Love is like an ipod filled with different emotions put on shuffle. Love is innocent. It's an eternal adventure.'"

Lucy was practically spread over the floor as she slid down in her seat, absolutely mortified. Having her writing read aloud was perhaps one of the most embarrassing things that's happened in any of her lifetimes.

Meanwhile, Levy snickered. "Wonder who that's about."

"Kill me please," Lucy replied, wanting to bang her head against the desk and put herself out of her own misery.

Capricorn tugged at his white goatee, his eyes scanning her journal again. "Not bad. Structure was very sloppy, but otherwise pretty good." He handed her journal back to her.

Lucy temporarily forgot about her embarrassment. Even though Capricorn's praise came with some harsh critiques, she felt good about his comment.

Her embarrassment came back, though, once she glanced towards Levy and Jellal, who were giving her all too knowing smirks.

Once class ended, Lucy walked with Levy and Jellal outside of the classroom. Just as he had promised, Natsu was waiting outside of the classroom. He was holding a small, white bag.

"Hey, Natsu. Ready for math?" Lucy asked.

"Hey, Lucy! Here, got you a muffin," Natsu replied, holding the bag out to her.

The girl's cheeks reddened as she pulled out an apple cinnamon muffin with icing drizzled on top. Natsu really was thoughtful. "Thank you, Natsu."

Levy cleared her throat. Her voice was laced with sarcasm as she said, "Nice to see you too, Natsu! Thanks for getting me a muffin too!"

Natsu laughed. "Hey, Levy, Jellal. I'm just here to walk with Lucy to class."

"I can see that." Levy smirked, continuing, "You know, Natsu. Has anyone ever told you that you smell kind of like a campfire?"

"Huh?"

"Oh nothing! Bye Natsu! Bye Lu-chan!"

With that, Levy and Jellal were walking back to Fairy Tail, leaving Lucy to gape at their retreating forms. She was definitely going to murder Levy McGarden later.

"What was that about?" Natsu asked, raising a brow.

"Uhh, I don't know! Let's just get to class already!"

* * *

"There you are, Fire Freak," Gray said the moment they entered the classroom. "I was knocking on the bathroom door for like five minutes, thinking that you were going to miss class. Could've given me a heads up you were going to walk your girlfriend to class."

Lucy walked over and promptly bashed the raven-haired boy upside the head. She'd had enough teasing for the day. Her heart needed a break.

Once Aquarius walked into the classroom, Lucy let out a deep breath. The last time she'd seen her cranky professor was on Friday, when she and Natsu had been kicked out of class. She wanted to get on the woman's good side, but she didn't know if Aquarius had one to begin with. She always seemed so angry.

Lucy supposed the first step at redemption would be to actually pay attention in class for once. No writing her story, no goofing off with Natsu. Just focusing on math. She would even raise her hand to answer questions, even if she was shy.

Lecture began the same as always, with Aquarius glaring at all of the students until they quieted down. Then, she dove straight into new lessons. Luckily, Lucy rarely ever had any new lessons considering she was on her fourth round of going to college, so she already knew what they were learning.

"Which one of you brats think you can solve this question, huh?" Aquarius asked.

Everyone, being too scared to be wrong in front of Aquarius, stayed silent, staring down at their desks and avoiding eye-contact. That is, everyone save for Lucy.

Lucy rose her hand high in the air, surprising her classmates. Natsu watched the blonde stride confidently to the front of the classroom. Apparently she was serious about getting on their professor's good side.

Lucy picked up a whiteboard marker and solved the problem with ease. She made sure to include all of the steps she took to get the answer, knowing that teachers despised when students didn't show their work.

Aquarius crossed her arms and huffed. "Not bad, brat. Now go sit your ass back down."

Lucy's eyes widened. At first she thought she was being praised, but now she wasn't so sure. Maybe that was Aquarius' way of praising her students.

"You're paying attention to class for once," Natsu whispered to her once she returned to her seat. "That's surprising."

"Because I'm trying to get on her good side," Lucy replied.

"Psh. That's impossible."

"Just wait. By the end of this quarter, I'm going to be her favorite student."

Natsu gave a lazy grin. "Yeah? Wanna put your money where your mouth is?"

"Sure. Name it," Lucy replied confidently.

"Loser has to treat the winner to dinner at the restaurant of the winner's choosing."

"Deal."

* * *

Once class ended, Natsu shoved his things in his bag.

"You guys coming to Fairy Tail too or do you have another date to go on?" Gray asked, slinging his bag over one shoulder.

"Keep it up, Gray, and I'm going to make sure you can never speak again," Lucy warned, glaring at the other boy. Her cheeks were pink, and she knew there was no way Natsu couldn't see them.

Meanwhile, Natsu ignored Gray's teasing. He never really considered if his hangout sessions with Lucy constituted as dates, but now that he put some thought into it, it was hard to deny that they seemed like dates. But with Lucy's reaction to Gray's teasing, it was clear that she didn't feel the same. Natsu didn't mind though. He liked their relationship the way it was.

"Do you wanna go to Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked, glancing at Lucy. He didn't know when he started basing his plans around her. He couldn't imagine not being by Lucy's side. He wanted to spend every moment he could with her.

Before he no longer could.

"Yeah, that sounds good!" Lucy replied. She did have to get revenge on Levy, after all.

So, the three of them walked together to Fairy Tail. Natsu and Gray bickered the entire time while Lucy watched, amused. She was excited to see the rest of her friends.

Lucy arced a brow. She didn't know when she started to refer to them as her friends, but it was nice. Even though things started out rocky, she now considered all of them dear to her- even Gajeel, despite his bitterness.

Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, Lucy fished it out, expecting it to be a text from Levy. What she saw instead filled her with dread and made her blood boil. Stopping in her tracks, she stared at the text message she received, wondering how she should reply- or if she should even reply at all.

Natsu and Gray paused their fighting when they noticed Lucy was no longer by their side. Turning their heads, they found the blonde staring intensely at her phone, a scowl plastered to her face and her unoccupied hand balled in a tight fist.

Natsu approached the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Lucy? What's wrong?"

Immediately, she shook her head and gave him a cheery grin. "It's nothing. Come on, let's go!"

Natsu and Gray shared a concerned look but followed her lead, back on their way to Fairy Tail. Natsu figured he would try asking again later when it was just the two of them.

Reaching Fairy Tail, Lucy rushed to Levy's side, basking in the tight hug the shorter girl had to offer. A hug was just what she needed.

"Lu-chan! How was class?" Levy asked, scooting over on the bench to give her friend more room.

"It was good," Lucy answered. "I'm trying to get on Aquarius' good side now but-!" Her phone buzzed again. Reading the new text, her brows furrowed and she let out an annoyed huff.

"Lu-chan? Who're you texting?"

"Huh? Oh, nobody."

"It doesn't look like it's nobody…"

Lucy glanced up from her phone, finding everyone staring her down in concern. Well, Gajeel's stare wasn't so much out of concern as it was more curious, but whatever. Sighing, the girl surrendered her phone so that they could read the texts that were putting a damper on her mood. She figured sharing what was making her upset was what normal people did with their friends, so she was going to try it out.

Erza was the one to grab the phone the quickest. With a quirked brow, she read aloud, "Lucy-san, you father requests your presence during your Christmas break. Please see to it that you clear your schedule."

"Who is it texting you?" Gray asked.

Lucy rested her head in her palm and stared absently at the wall beside her. "My father's assistant. I haven't spoken to my dad in months and this is how he reaches out to me? By using his assistant to _request my presence?_ And then he has the nerve to tell me to clear my schedule."

She detested her father of this lifetime. After her mother died, he did everything he could to push her away. He was nothing but a man after money, prioritizing wealth and working his life away. He didn't care about her or even speak to her once she moved out to attend school.

"I hate that guy," Lucy muttered to herself. She should've known that Natsu with his impressive hearing skills would hear her.

"Why do you hate him?" he asked, frowning at her. He looked confused as he continued, "I thought you said he was a really nice guy?"

"Huh? When did I say that?"

"When we were playing truth or dare at your place."

Lucy's eyes widened as everything was coming back to her. She had explained to them her parents of her second lifetime, telling them they were nice people that she pushed away. And now she was telling them all about how much of an asshole her current father was.

She messed up big time.

"Oh, uhh, that's because he used to be a nice guy," Lucy said in an attempt to hide her mistake. "But after everything that happened with my mom, he changed. I guess I can't blame him since it was my fault, huh."

Lucy wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, noticing everyone else seemingly believe her story.

Everyone save for Natsu.

Natsu studied Lucy. If there was one thing he was good at, it would be knowing when people were lying.

And Lucy was definitely lying.

He didn't know how or why, but something about what she was saying wasn't true. But why would she lie? It didn't make sense to him and his brain was starting to nag at him. He didn't want to be like Erza and Gajeel, but he couldn't help but feel a bit distrusting of her knowing that she was lying to them.

Still, Natsu chose not to question it, knowing that if he did, Erza and Gajeel would probably go back into crazy mode and forbit him from hanging out with Lucy again. And even if she was lying to him, he didn't want to not see her again. He was attached to her, and he didn't know if that was good or bad.

"So are you gonna go?" Gray asked, bringing Natsu out of his thoughts.

Lucy sighed, nodding. "Yeah. I don't really have much of a choice. He pays my tuition, I can't just refuse to visit home."

"I suppose that makes sense," Erza said. "Do you have to be there the whole time?"

"I doubt it. It's probably just about me taking over the business again or even an arranged marriage. I'll turn him down, we'll fight, then he'll send me on the next train back to Magnolia. That's how it always goes."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Arranged marriage?" Natsu asked furrowing his brows. His jaw clenched.

Lucy simply waved him off. "Don't worry. He can't force me to marry anyone, I made that clear when I left. But he is persistent in asking."

"Wait a second," Gray said. "You're talking about running a business and an arranged marriage. What are you, some kind of rich girl?"

Lucy quirked a brow. "You mean you don't know?"

Levy answered for the blonde. "Lu-chan is from one of the wealthiest families in Fiore. You know, the Heartfilias? The third richest family in Fiore?"

"Your last name is Heartfilia?" Natsu asked. It was his first time hearing her last name. It was a fitting name for Lucy.

"Yep. I'm Lucky Lucy Heartfilia," she replied with a frown. In her previous lifetimes, she always wondered what it would be like to be born wealthy. And now that she was, she hated it. She hated the business parties, the snobby people, and the strict rules on absolutely everything. Not to mention that now that she was the daughter of someone well-known, keeping her identity a secret in her fifth lifetime was going to be a pain in the ass.

But that was future Lucy's problem.

Natsu nudged her arm and gave her a lopsided grin. "That sounds too fancy for a weirdo like you. You're Lucy to us. Just Lucy."

Tears pricked the blonde's eyes and she gave him a watery smile. Nodding, she beamed up at him. He always knew what to say. "Yeah. Thanks, Natsu."

Erza cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Well, Lucy, if you don't have to be at your father's house the entire time, then would you like to go on a ski trip with us?"

"Ski trip?" Natsu asked. He hadn't heard of those plans.

"Yes. Levy suggested we all go on a trip during Christmas break and I thought skiing would be appropriate."

"That sounds fun!" Lucy exclaimed, clasping her hands together in excitement. "I've never gone skiing before!"

"Then it's settled. We'll all go to Mt. Hakobe this winter."

Lucy smiled. Winter break was still months away, but they still invited her to join them, which meant that they still expected her to be part of the group by then. It was silly to be happy about, but she couldn't help it. She missed having friends.

Now, she was excited for winter, even if she had to visit her father.

* * *

Once Lucy announced that she was leaving for the night, the group began to split up as always. Natsu went to walk Lucy home, Jellal and Erza traveled to the former's room, Gray and Juvia to the girl's room, and Gajeel and Levy going back to his room. Gajeel was lucky that he was the newest addition to Fairy Tail, so he didn't have to share a room with anyone until a newcomer joined. And seeing as how rare immortals are, he didn't expect to gain a roommate anytime soon.

He wished the rules at Fairy Tail were less strict when it came to rooms. He would've loved to share a room with Levy, but it wasn't allowed. He didn't see why not, but chose not to make a big fuss out of it. After all, housing and food were free to him for all of eternity, he had to pick his battles. And it wasn't like the rule forbid them from sleeping anywhere other than their room. But hell, Jellal and Erza were married, it boggled his mind that even they couldn't share a room.

Walking hand-in-hand with Levy, Gajeel led the way back to her room. She'd been gushing nonstop about a new book she bought, so he knew that she wanted to read it. He didn't mind. He had something important to do anyways.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Gajeel," Levy said.

With their height difference, the boy had to bend down quite a bit for Levy to be able to give him a kiss. "Don't stay up too late, Shrimp." Ruffling her hair and relishing in her pouting face, he turned back around and headed towards his own room.

Once he got there, he immediately unlocked his phone and opened Google. Then, he entered 'Lucy Heartfilia' into the search bar. His suspicions of the blonde had died down a bit, but now that he had some new information on the girl- that being her last name- he could make sure once and for all that she wasn't going to betray them.

Dozens of links popped up, most of them being about her father's business. Clicking on images, he found that the majority of them were of Lucy in ballgowns at fancy gatherings. Despite a smile being glued to her face in all the pictures, her eyes were void of emotion. She looked more like a prop at the parties rather than a human being.

There were links for just about everything. Gajeel was shocked to find links about the death of Lucy's mother posted years ago. She never mentioned that her mother died, but it wasn't too surprising since she mentioned that she was hospitalized.

Gajeel scrolled through some articles on her mother's death. They all said that she was hospitalized for cancer, which was different from what Lucy said, but he wasn't too concerned. Their lives were always on display, it made sense that they would want to keep what really happened a secret.

Finding nothing bad against the blonde, Gajeel leaned back in his chair. After hearing about what happened to Erza and Jellal, the boy couldn't help but become wary of unknown mortals. He knew there were trustworthy ones, but didn't like welcoming new ones. But maybe it was time to change.

The rest of the group adored Lucy. Hell, Natsu was head over heels for her. He needed to get used to the blonde's presence in his life. So, he exited out of the search engine and made a vow to himself. From now on, he was going to try to trust Lucy. He wasn't going to look her up or snoop through her things. He was going to start treating her as a friend.

He just hoped he wouldn't come to regret that decision.

* * *

 **AN:** Alright, hope the chapter wasn't too confusing. Everything makes sense in my head but I guess typing it out and making it make sense is harder for this story lol. UGH I can't wait to get to the revelations but I gotta be patient. So hard! :'D

 **Zardi47:** Lucy's first name always stays the same but her last one changes. I just can't imagine writing Lucy with another name. I'm too attached to the name lol. :')

 **neffateri13:** So for this story, there isn't really a type of immortal! No vampires or anything, just regular immortals that don't age! And also, Lucy isn't an immortal! She's a different type of human that reincarnates! :D

Thank you to the reviewers: **KatanaNoNeko, Zinnia99, Rein Serenity, KarinStalker24, shootingstarssel, valerioux, Alexa60765, Compucles, Cher, MasterGildarts, SleepinBeautyK, Lunar13, Firefly9917, MissVarta, stranger1999, Mandapandaa, ThaDesperado64, Adtrboy0916, Guest, SunTiger18, Mannyegb, Guest, itsxoi, Weevilcat, animeflower107, Zardi47, OneLivesAgain, Soul Eater Maka, Duchixx, Mireille Marquis, mushi0131, Nilsa Metz, Magnolia Ventura, Alexia Colette, Lasonya Farrar, Guest, Guest, neffateri13, Nalulove, Lycama, MaryyDragneel, Guest.**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:** Hello everyone! Got a lil bit of a time skip for ya just to help the story progress a little! Hope you guys like the chapter even though I did struggle writing it! (I think I'm out of practice a bit but hopefully I'll get right back into it soon!)

* * *

Chapter 12

Two Weeks

Two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. There were no longer sweltering hot days. Instead, the air was growing more and more frigid as each day passed, fall now in full effect. The leaves were mixed shades of reds and oranges. Everyone was forced to wear more layers, even those like Lucy who preferred not to.

During the past two weeks, things changed between Lucy and the rest of the gang. For starters, she managed to get everyone's phone numbers- including Gajeel's- and even had them take pictures to use as their contact information.

She was also beginning to get closer to the group, even individually. Sure, she didn't talk much to Jellal, but things were pleasant between them. Erza and Lucy texted often, and Lucy was starting to understand the redhead better beneath her hard shell. She grew surprisingly close with Gray, though. She'd never had a brother before, but she was sure that Gray was the perfect image of a brother. Juvia no longer glared at her. Yes, she still referred to her as Love Rival from time to time, but the name no longer held a sharp edge to it like before. Gajeel didn't glare at her anymore either. Sure, he rarely talked to her and when he did, it was only because she initiated the conversation. Not to mention his replies were short… But either way, it was progress she was grateful for.

Her relationship with Levy improved as well. Though the girls were close before, they grew even closer. They talked on the phone at least twice a week and texted a lot more now.

Lucy's relationship with Natsu changed the most, though. The two were practically inseparable. Natsu waited outside of Lucy's creative writing class so they could walk to math together and climbed through her window to sleep in her bed- he claimed hers was more comfortable. (She of course beat him senseless every morning.) Their relationship wasn't one-sided either. Lucy packed a lunch for Natsu every day they had class together and went straight to Fairy Tail when they didn't have classes together so she could see him.

They texted whenever they weren't together and didn't even have to ask if they were going to meet up at Fairy Tail. They just knew.

For the first time in lifetimes, Lucy could say she was genuinely happy with life. She had people in her life that she could actually call friends, an apartment that was starting to look more like a home, and spent every day having the time of her life. Whether she was just chilling with the rest of the gang at Fairy Tail, grabbing smoothies with Levy, or bickering with Natsu about whatever movie they were going to watch while they ate dinner, every day was one she hoped she would never forget.

Lucy sat up with a stretch and a yawn before forcing herself out of bed. Dragging her feet to the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of tea. She blew on her tea in hopes of it cooling down as she sat at the dining room table. A smile graced her face as she gazed at the bulletin board that hung on the wall ahead of her. She fondly remembered the day in which Natsu stuck to his promise of helping her decorate her apartment.

 _It had been a few days ago when Natsu had invited himself into Lucy's apartment, per usual. Of course, the blonde had begun to expect this sort of thing nearly every night, hence why she kept her window unlocked despite her empty threats to kick him out._

 _Natsu, carrying plastic bags that were full of things Lucy couldn't see, dropped them unceremoniously onto her couch._

 _"What's that?" Lucy asked, her brows piqued in interest._

 _Natsu turned to her and gave her a heart-stopping grin. One that was full of brightness, brighter than the sun. "It's time we decorate this place like I said we would!"_

 _A smile broke out over Lucy's face as Natsu emptied the plastic bags. There was a bulletin board, a bunch of pictures, a small doll, and other miscellaneous items._

 _"I didn't know how you would wanna decorate this place, so I just got a bunch of stuff," Natsu said, staring proudly at the selection he provided._

 _"Where should I put everything?" Lucy asked._

 _"Wherever you want! Don't worry, I'll help ya out!"_

 _Lucy smiled, picking up the stack of photos. Sifting through them, she saw lot with her and Levy, her and Natsu, and even some with the rest of the group. The pictures served as proof of the bonds she was able to make with people, the first relationships that she cared about in lifetimes. She treasured these pictures more than Natsu would ever know._

 _"Those go on the bulletin board," Natsu told her. He came to stand beside her, his body heat making her own body tingle in excitement at their close proximity._

 _A toothy grin spread over the boy's face as he grabbed a picture of the two of them. They were sitting at Fairy Tail when Levy insisted that they get a picture together. Lucy smiled at the camera, her cheeks a light pink. He chose to give the camera a cheeky grin while throwing up a peace sign and sticking his fingers behind Lucy's head as bunny ears._

" _This is my favorite picture," he said. Lucy couldn't quite describe it, but his attitude had changed when he said that. His voice didn't carry its usual mischief. Instead, it was sincere. Quiet._

" _Me too," she replied, a warm smile spread over her face._

" _Then let's put it in the center!" Natsu grabbed a tack and pinned it on the middle of the bulletin board. Together, they tacked the rest of the pictures to it. "Now, where are we going to hang this thing up?"_

" _I know where," Lucy said, gently taking the board from him. She was so happy about it, she treated it with the upmost care as she hung it on the wall opposite from where she ate breakfast._

" _Why there?"_

" _So I can see it every morning," she answered fondly. "Now I can start all my mornings off with a smile."_

 _Natsu grinned, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Then that's a pretty good spot for it!"_

Lucy's eyes glazed over all of the pictures. All of them were precious to her. And just as she did every morning thanks to the pictures, she grinned from cheek-to-cheek.

* * *

"Good morning, Lucy," Erza greeted once the blonde entered the classroom.

"Morning, everyone!" she replied. Taking her seat, she overhead some of her classmates talking about their plans for Halloween. The holiday was still two weeks away, but she understood their excitement. Even though she never dressed up or went to any of the parties, Halloween was a holiday she enjoyed when she was a kid during her first lifetime. Trick or treating, dressing up, the decorations, all of it was exciting when she was a kid.

Juvia, apparently overhearing the conversation as well, asked, "Do you celebrate Halloween, Lucy?"

The girl shook her head. "No, but I'm not against it either. I'm sure you guys throw a huge party at Fairy Tail every year though?"

The immortals shared a quick glance. In truth, for all of them, it was their first year out in the real world in quite a while. So no, they didn't celebrate Halloween.

"No, no, nothing like that," Erza answered for the rest of them. Over the past two weeks, her suspicions of Lucy were practically nonexistent. Sure, there were times when her previous beliefs would nag at her, but she pushed the thoughts away. Lucy was a genuinely nice girl. It was unlikely she would betray them.

"Juvia wouldn't mind dressing up though!" the blue-headed girl exclaimed. She latched onto Gray's arm. "Juvia would love to see her lovely Gray-sama in a costume!"

Gajeel scoffed. "It's not like that stripper would be able to stay in his costume for more than five minutes."

"What? I could so keep my clothes on for more than five minutes!" Gray protested. "Right, Erza?" The redhead simply crossed her arms and shook her head. So he went to Lucy for help instead. "Right, Lucy?"

The girl chuckled nervously. "Sorry, Gray." Over the past two weeks, she had grown used to the boy's stripping habit. It was rare to see him wearing a shirt. "In fact, you're literally in the process of taking off your shirt right now."

The raven-haired boy glanced down at himself and sighed in defeat. "Shit."

"Juvia doesn't mind!" the girl exclaimed with hearts in her eyes. "Juvia still wants to see you in a costume, even if it's only for a second!"

"I'm not really into dressing up, Juvia."

"Please! For Juvia!"

Gray threw his head back and groaned. There was no saying no to her now. "Fine. But I'm not going to be the only one dressing up! Everyone is!"

Gajeel scoffed again. "As if! I ain't dressin' up!"

"Oh really? I'm sure Levy-chan would love to see you in a costume," Lucy replied with a heavy smirk. Seeing the brooding boy mutter under his breath, she knew she had the win in the bag.

"Then it's settled. We will be dressing up for Halloween this year," Erza said. With a grin, she continued, "We'll also make this more interesting by making it a costume contest. The winner will get a prize that I choose."

Scorpio then walked into the room, propping his feet onto his desk per usual. With that, class began.

* * *

"Lu-chan!" Levy exclaimed as soon as they entered the pub.

"Hi, Levy-chan!" the blonde greeted, taking her signature spot by Natsu, who gave her his signature grin. Their thighs touched, and Lucy couldn't help the quickening of her heartrate. Luckily, she was getting better at controlling her blush.

She hadn't made any great romantic strides with Natsu during the past two weeks, despite spending every day with him. Hell, they even slept in the same bed half the time. But Lucy had learned that Natsu was just an overly friendly guy. While most people would be hurt that their crush didn't feel the same, the blonde was fine. It was her first time in so long having feelings towards a boy, she welcomed them with open arms. Not that she acted on them, though. No, she kept these feelings locked up. Their friendship was too important to her.

Eventually, she would get over her feelings towards Natsu and move on. Or at least, that's what she liked to believe.

"How was class?" Natsu asked, his words altered as his mouth was stuffed with chicken.

"It was fine," Lucy answered with a shrug. "It's starting to get into the harder sections, so I'll probably be having you tutor me if you're still willing."

"Duh, weirdo!"

Lucy smiled at the nickname. She adored all of the nicknames he gave her. "Oh, we also decided that we're all going to dress up for Halloween!"

"Whaaat? Lame. I don't wanna do that."

In seconds, Erza was standing behind him, cracking her knuckles in threat. "Care to repeat that?"

The boy gulped. "I-I said that dressing up sounds awesome! I'd love to do that!"

"That's what I thought."

Natsu breathed a sigh of relief as Erza sat back in her seat. Then, he glared at Lucy.

"You coulda warned me that Erza was so gung-ho about this," he whispered.

"But watching you be scared of Erza is too good to pass up," she replied with a smug grin.

"You're evil."

"Thanks! Oh, by the way, are you coming over tonight? I have to buy some groceries if you are since _someone_ here just has to eat my whole pantry full of food."

Natsu cackled at her glare. "Duh. It's movie night!"

"You say that just about every night!"

"Yeah, yeah. Oh, did I leave my shirt there the other night? The dragon one?"

"You did. I washed it so it's ready for you to pick up tonight."

"Oh my god would you two just date already?" Gray said, cutting into their conversation with a look of disgust. "You two sound like you're married!"

Lucy's face was set ablaze. "W-What!? No we don't! Shut up, Gray!"

"You so do! I mean, the guy spends the night at your place more than he does at ours!"

Lucy opened her mouth to retort when she caught something. "Ours? What do you mean? Natsu has his own apartment."

The whole group stiffened, and though Natsu was anxious, he was also relieved that he wasn't the one who slipped up this time.

"Oh, uhh, I meant Fairy Tail. You know, to hang out," Gray lied. "I meant to say that he hangs out more at your apartment than he does here."

Levy awkwardly chuckled. "I guess we're here so much, this place seems like our home, huh?"

Lucy stared at the group. All of them were staring back at her, and it was obvious that they were hiding something. For one, they were too intent on her reaction. Plus, Gray was talking about spending the night, not hanging out. Mixing that up was too unbelievable.

But what could they be hiding from her? And _why_ would they be hiding it from her? Did she misinterpret the progress she was making with all of them?

She decided to plaster a fake smile to her face. "Oh, that makes sense." She wasn't usually one to play dumb, but these were her only friends and if they weren't ready to tell her whatever they were hiding yet, then she wasn't going to pressure them. With Erza's personality, she doubted they were hiding anything bad.

Natsu studied Lucy as the group changed the subject. If there was one thing he learned about the blonde over the past two weeks, it was that she was incredibly smart. He wondered if somewhere in the back of her mind, she was starting to put the pieces together. After all, there had been multiple slip ups. Maybe she knew that something fishy was going on.

Part of Natsu was curious to see how she'd react to knowing they were immortals. There had been many times that he just wanted to tell her the truth. He hated lying to her. Besides, Lucy was a nice girl and was very understanding. Hell, she let him sleep in her bed because his was "uncomfortable." Would she really go running and screaming? Or would she be happy that he trusted her enough to tell her?

Either way, he couldn't let her find out their secret. No matter how she reacted, there was a strict rule not to tell mortals about their immortality unless they were immediate family. If anyone else were to find out, then that immortal would have to go straight into hiding for another hundred years and they would never be able to see that mortal again.

And he couldn't risk not seeing Lucy again.

* * *

Once it was starting to get dark outside, Natsu knew it was time to leave. It was movie night, and if they left too late, then Lucy would fall asleep during the movie. And this time it was his turn to choose, so he didn't want her to pass out yet.

"Bye, everyone!" Lucy said as she followed him out of Fairy Tail.

The two walked side-by-side in a content silence. There were plenty of stars out that night along with a full moon that helped light up the path. Natsu glanced towards Lucy in the corner of his eye. He had come to learn that she loved the stars. She stared up at the sky with a smile every time they walked home.

Moonlight washed over her features. Her golden hair still stuck out in the night, as if the sun had taken up residence in each strand. Her chocolate brown eyes were full of warmth. Her lips, pink and plump, were curled into a pleasant smile.

She was beautiful.

Natsu loved to watch Lucy whenever she was happy. Her smile was infectious. In their silence, he could practically hear his own heartbeat, quickening.

Natsu's crush on Lucy hadn't simmered down in the slightest. If anything, it was only growing stronger with how much time they spent together. She was funny, smart, and most importantly, she was kind.

The boy knew that nothing would come from this crush of his. After all, he was an immortal and she was a mortal. They led different lives. Mortal lives were short. Too short. It was unfair how short their lives were.

His fingers gripped the scaly scarf around his neck. He knew from experience just how short they were.

One day, Lucy would discover her first gray hair, or a new wrinkle on her face. She would surely seek the same out of Natsu, but he would never change. His time in the outside world was limited, and he'd just have to leave her anyways.

She would then continue to grow, leaving him behind and finding someone else. Someone that can grow old with her. Someone that she can share a lifetime's worth of adventures with.

That just wasn't him, no matter how badly he wanted it to be.

Suddenly, a warm hand grabbed his, stopping him in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder to find Lucy staring at him in concern.

"Are you okay, Natsu?" she asked, her lips curled downwards into a frown. "You seem upset about something…"

"Huh? Nah, don't worry about it. I'm fine," the boy lied, gluing a fake grin to his face. Great, now he made Lucy upset all because he was drowning in his depressing thoughts.

His lie only seemed to disappoint Lucy further. "You know you can tell me anything, right? That's what best friends are for."

Natsu smiled at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I thought Levy was your best friend."

"You're both tied. Listen, Natsu, you've cheered me up so many times. Let me do the same for you."

Natsu's grin grew wider and he ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, Luce. You've already cheered me up. Now c'mon! I chose an awesome movie for tonight!"

* * *

Reaching Lucy's apartment, the two went on with their routine. Natsu went to get the movie set up while Lucy started dinner- after the pancake incident, she didn't trust the boy to make food for them. Knowing that he was excited about this movie, Lucy chose to make ramen. It was easy to make and took no time at all. Plus, with Natsu at her apartment every day, her supply of food was startlingly low.

Carrying over the two bowls of ramen, Lucy took her seat next to Natsu on the couch. He chose a horror film for this week's movie night. Knowing that her tolerance for scary things was low, the blonde grabbed a blanket and skillfully wrapped herself in it. Now, if she ever needed to hide her gaze, she had a blanket to shield herself.

Natsu smirked, watching Lucy settle herself. Whenever they watched scary movies together, the girl practically shook the whole time. And the jump-scares were _hilarious._ Lucy would always jump in her seat or even scream sometimes.

The movie picked up quickly the moment the killer got his first pick off. Just as she did during every scary movie, Lucy buried herself deeper into the blanket and scooted closer to Natsu. Noticing the closer proximity, he blushed. His whole body felt warm and his arm itched to touch her.

Maybe that was why he always chose horror films every time it was his turn to choose.

So far, this was the scariest movie that he'd chosen, if Lucy's screams were anything to go by. Seriously, she was screaming every time someone got killed.

Once the music started building up, meaning that something scary was going to happen, Lucy leaned into Natsu's side. His heart skipped a beat and he gulped. Luckily, the blonde was too terrified to notice the way his body tensed.

It was hard resisting the urge to touch her.

" _If she can lean into me, I can wrap an arm around her, right?"_ Natsu wondered, swallowing thickly. His whole face matched his hair as he slowly lifted his arm. Pushing all of his doubts to the back of his mind and throwing caution to the wind, the boy looped his arm over Lucy's shoulder and pulled her closer. His heart was beating a mile a minute. He wasn't even paying attention to the movie anymore. Instead, he was focusing on how Lucy reacted.

Except, she didn't react at all. She acted as if it was the most normal thing in the world and snuggled closer to him. Natsu's lips twitched upwards into a proud smirk.

Meanwhile, Lucy's brain was short-circuiting.

" _Natsu's arm is wrapped around me. Natsu's. Freaking. Arm. Is. Wrapped. Around. Me,"_ she thought, suppressing the urge to squeal. " _What do I do? Do I wrap my arms around him? Or is that too much? Why did he do that anyways? Does he like me? Or is he just being nice because he knows that I'm scared? Agh, I have to know!"_

Peeking up at the boy through her lashes, Lucy studied him. His face was a blank slate, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. If only she knew, then her mind wouldn't be such a jumbled mess.

" _If he does like me, he'll probably make another move on me,"_ she figured. So, she waited for him to make a move. And waited. And waited some more.

Holding back a sigh, Lucy thought to herself, " _I'm so stupid for thinking he liked me just because he put his arm around me. Natsu's always been a really friendly guy, that's all there is to it."_

The sooner she got used to that, the sooner she could get over these feelings.

* * *

Once the movie was over, Lucy shot up from her seat and turned the lights on. She hated being in the dark after watching a scary movie, and she was glad that Natsu was spending the night so she wouldn't have to be alone. She had a feeling she wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise.

"Well? What'd ya think?" Natsu asked with a toothy grin.

"Way too scary!" she answered, hugging herself. "My heart stopped about a million times during that movie!"

" _Mine too,"_ Natsu thought to himself, though his reasons were different. Every time Lucy would move, he could feel it. And she usually moved closer to him. "It was still good though, right?"

"I guess. I was glad when that one jerk died!"

"Same! But it was so sad when the funny one died!"

"I know! I was totally rooting for him to make it out alive! He was so close!"

"Don't remind me!" Natsu whined. Suddenly, his stomach growled. Patting his belly, he continued, "Man, I'm _starving!_ What's for dinner, Luce?"

"The ramen was dinner, idiot. You're on your own if you're still hungry after that," she replied.

"Aww, c'mon, Luce! Are you really going to let me starve?"

"If you're really that hungry, then go make something yourself. But I suggest you don't make pancakes again. It didn't go so well for you the last time you did."

"Oi! They weren't that bad!"

"They were raw, Natsu. And not even just a little undercooked. There was literal liquid!"

Natsu grumbled to himself, stomping into the kitchen to find something to eat. Too lazy to attempt to make something, he grabbed a bag of chips and returned to Lucy's side on the couch.

"You really should learn how to cook," Lucy said, nudging the boy. "Are you just going to eat junk food for the rest of your life?"

Natsu shrugged. "Probably."

"But you love when I cook you actual meals! Wouldn't you like to know how to make them yourself?"

"Why do that when you can cook it for me?"

"Because I'm not going to be there to cook for you forever, you know."

Natsu frowned. "Yeah, I know." He thought about it just about every day.

"So from now on, I'm going to teach you how to cook!" Lucy said with a grin.

"But Luuuucy!"

"No buts! This is for your own good!"

Natsu shrugged, giving into his defeat. Once Lucy was determined on something, it was impossible telling her no.

The two sat in a content silence. Well, save for their loud munching on the potato chips.

"So, what do you think you'll be for Halloween?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. I'll probably just throw a bed sheet over myself and say I'm a ghost or something," Natsu replied. "What about you? I can see you goin' as some sorta fairy princess or some shit."

"I don't know yet. I kind of want to be a mermaid. Or maybe an archer. Or a lion, even."

"Really? I don't see the point of Halloween. Don't get me wrong, free candy is _awesome._ But I don't feel the need to dress up or anythin' like that. And besides, it's like two weeks from now, why are we planning so early? Next thing you know, we'll be talkin' about Thanksgiving and Christmas tomorrow!"

Lucy sighed. "I hate Thanksgiving."

"Okay, what now? How could you hate Thanksgiving of all holidays!? It's a holiday about food!"

The girl frowned, bringing her knees to her chest. "Yeah, but it's no fun being alone. Everyone else goes home to visit their families during the break. I don't. I'm just going to be here by myself, eating a bowl of ramen probably." Realizing that she was being a downer, the girl waved her hands frantically in the air. "I'm not trying to say that my life is bad or I'm asking for attention or anything like that! I just wish… I just wish that I wasn't alone."

Natsu stared at her before his face broke out into a grin. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her against his side.

"Not everyone goes to celebrate with their families, you weirdo," he said, smiling at her. "Some people's families live too far away, or they can't afford to go home. You aren't alone."

"Still, I'm sure everyone in our group is going home."

"I'm not."

"You aren't?"

"Nope. So why don't we spend Thanksgiving together?"

Lucy's mouth parted as she stared into Natsu's eyes. He was smiling at her, his offer completely serious.

"You actually want to spend Thanksgiving with me?" she asked, touched.

"Do you really have to ask that, Luce? Of course I wanna spend Thanksgiving with you! You're a pretty good cook, the food is gonna be awesome!"

Lucy pouted, shoving the boy. " _That's_ why you wanna spend Thanksgiving with me?"

He shoved her back, grinning at her. "Why else would I want to? You're weird, remember?"

"How could I forget when you remind me all the time!"

Natsu threw his head back in laughter. "So it's settled! We'll spend Thanksgiving together!"

Lucy arched a brow. "Hey, Natsu. Why aren't you going home for the holiday?"

The boy's grin faltered. His stomach started to feel empty as the hollow sensation came over him. Finding security in his scarf, he gripped its ends and took a deep breath.

He could tell Lucy, couldn't he? He trusted her enough, and it wasn't like she could really do anything with the information. But was he ready to confide in her about this? He rarely even spoke about it with Gray and the others.

With another deep breath, Natsu said, "Like I said, not everyone goes home for the holidays. Some people's families are too far away, or they can't afford it… And for others, there isn't a home to return to." He exhaled a shaky breath. His throat constricted painfully as he forced back pesky tears. It had been year and yet he still couldn't help the tears that sprung to his eyes whenever he talked about this.

Keeping his gaze low and away from Lucy, Natsu said, "Some of us don't have a family anymore."

Lucy frowned, her heart breaking as she listened to Natsu. She was sure she knew what he was implying. Watching him play with the ends of his scarf, she asked, "Hey, Natsu, why do you always wear that scarf?" Even on the hottest of days, she had never seen him go without it.

Natsu swallowed, the rock in his throat screaming in pain. "My dad gave it to me. It's the only thing I have left of him after… After he died."

Lucy's hand landed on Natsu's shoulder immediately. She hoped it would comfort him, but doubted it. What could she say or do after hearing that? There were no words or actions that could heal one's heart after the loss of a loved one. Only time could do that. And even then, it wouldn't completely heal.

"It was because of lung cancer," Natsu said. His hand twirled and untwirled his scarf over and over again. The movement helped calm him a bit. "Before my dad met my mom, he smoked a lot. Once he met her, he slowed down a lot, but once she got pregnant, he stopped completely. I never met my mom. She died when I was a baby, so my dad, Igneel, raised me on his own. He was the best dad ever. Taught me how to read, how to ride a bike, and even how to make a fire just using a couple of sticks. He died when I was eighteen. Even though he quit smoking, he still ended up getting lung cancer."

Not everyone was immortal. It was a hard truth he had learned after he discovered his own immortality. Immortals could give birth to mortals and vice versa.

Natsu sighed. "Those things are death on a stick. I'm glad I got Gray to stop smo-"

Natsu turned to look at Lucy and found tears flowing down her face. Somehow, he had gotten through the story without shedding a single tear- which was hard for him- and yet she was sobbing for him.

"Lucy? Are you okay?" he found himself asking.

"D-Don't ask me that!" she choked out. "I'm supposed to be comforting you!"

"It's alright, Lucy. It happened years ago."

"That doesn't matter! Your father sounded amazing, it only makes sense that you're sad about it!"

Lucy continued to weep, which honestly scared Natsu. He had never met somebody so empathetic. Everyone else he told of Igneel's death were immortal, so they knew exactly what he had been through. They understood him. And yet, for some reason unbeknownst to him, having Lucy cry for his father calmed him. Her parents were both alive. They were mortals. She didn't understand at all, and yet she was helping him.

Natsu pulled Lucy in for a hug, letting her cry on his shoulder. He could feel her tears seeping through the fabric of his shirt, but he didn't care.

"I'm sorry for crying," Lucy said once she calmed down. Her body raked with hiccups.

"Don't be," Natsu assured, running his hand through her hair. It was soft, and the action provided him comfort that his scarf couldn't. Wringing his scarf made him feel like he couldn't let go of his past, but running his fingers through Lucy's hair made him hopeful for the future.

"No, I was the one supposed to comfort you and yet you're here helping me. I messed up," Lucy said with a sniffle.

Natsu gently pulled Lucy off of him so he could stare into her eyes. "I swear, Lucy, you're helping me more than you'll ever know."

The girl's mouth parted, and she nodded. Resting her head on his shoulder again, she let him sift through her hair. It seemed he liked doing that.

"Your dad really does sound amazing," she said. "And I'm sure he's proud of the person you've become."

"You think so?"

"There's no way he wouldn't be. You're the nicest, most caring person I know. Even though he had less time to help you grow, he did a better job than most fathers."

Natsu smiled, holding her closer. Hearing Lucy talk about Igneel made him feel happy. "Yeah, you're right. Now c'mon. You got class in the morning."

So, the two of them headed into Lucy's bedroom and snuggled under the covers, as if it was the most normal thing friends could do. Natsu played with the tips of Lucy's hair until he could hear her soft snores. He was glad that he told Lucy about Igneel. He felt even closer to her now. And should Lucy ever share something intimate with him, he was going to make sure he was there for her, just as she was for him.

* * *

 **AN:** So we finally get some insight on Natsu's past! :D I hope you guys liked the chapter! I tried my best! :)

And because there were a TON of reviews (and I feel guilty I was gone for so long) here is one very short sneak peek of the next chapter:

 _"Natsu, do you believe in regeneration?"_

Boom. Hopefully that very short sentence will keep you satisfied until the next chapter! :D

 **Alexa60765:** I have no idea how long this story is going to be yet! :O My guess is it's going to be in the 30-40 range, but last time I tried to guestimate another one of my stories, I was wrong by like 30 chapters haha! :D But this story shouldn't be more than like 45 chapters! I doubt it'll be that much even! But thanks for the review, love! Hope you're doing well! :D

 **Doginshoe:** In regards to what Lucy does as she's a child, the answer is yes, she does have to play dumb! It'll be explained in more detail in a later chapter, along with Lucy's ages. ;) Thanks for the review! :D

 **Juvia is my spirit animal:** In regards to immortals having scars, they have all their scars that happen before their death day, so before they stop aging! After that, their body naturally heals itself and all of its scars! :D Thank you for all the reviews! :D

Thank you to all of the lovely reviewers: **KatanaNoNeko, WolfessLizi, Rein Serenity, KJacket, MusicLovingEmo, Guest, shootingstarssel, Lunar13, Cher, MasterGildarts, valerioux, KaytyTheBtch, Alexa60765, Guest, Mandapandaa, Doginshoe, Weevilcat, Guest, SleepinBeautyK, stranger1999, KarinStalker24, ThaDesperado64, Guest, Duchixx, animeflower107, mushi0131, Mannyegb, WhatAnimeHasTaughtMe, OneLivesAgain, Yumeko, neffateri13, AnimeBeauty23, Guest, gnatfiles, K, chocolatecatsconfusion, Yashagirl89, MaryyDragneel, Stubenhocker, Juvia is my spirit animal (x6), MillenialStargazer (x6), Guest, Soul Eater Maka, Nalulove, Guest, Guest.**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Okay so I just realized that there was a fucking typo in my sneak peek last chapter. It was supposed to say reincarnation not regeneration. I suck I'm so sorry lmaooo. BUT I LOVE THIS CHAPTER SO I HOPE YOU GUYS LOVE IT TOO!

* * *

Chapter 13

Girls' Day

Nothing was working. Not raising her hand, morning greetings, or even perfect exam scores were working. Getting on Aquarius' good side was proving to be impossible.

Lucy sighed, returning to her seat after volunteering to answer a question on the board. Even though she had solved the problem correctly and showed all of the steps, Aquarius still gave her snide remarks before sending her to her seat.

"Nice try," Natsu whispered once she sat down. "You're never gonna win our bet. Just give it up."

The girl stuck her tongue out at him. "Yes I will. It just takes some time."

Figuring she did enough trying to please Aquarius for the day, Lucy pulled out her writing journal. She was currently in a rut for her wizarding guild story. Writer's block was a pain that she suffered from many times. So, she figured she'd work on another story she just started writing in hopes of regaining her motivation.

This story was about a boy and a girl who mistakenly sign up for a couple's cruise. It was a simple friends-to-lovers story, with a fake relationship thrown in the mix. In hopes of broadening her writing, Lucy was even going to try to write some more _mature_ content for once.

Natsu's brow piqued as he watched Lucy began to scribble in her writing journal. He hadn't seen that journal in weeks, as Lucy hadn't been writing in class lately and she'd gotten better at hiding the damn thing. He wondered what was going on in the world of celestial mage Ellie and dragon slayer Haru.

Eyes skimming through the girl's neatly scribed words, Natsu became confused. Now she was writing about some sort of cruise. And who were these new characters? Rebecca? Shiki? He didn't remember those characters being in her story before. Unless…

" _This is a new story!"_ Natsu thought, a mischievous grin spreading over his face.

As if having a Natsu-mischief-radar, Lucy glanced towards him, finding him trying to read her story. So, she closed the book and shoved it back in her backpack. This was the one story she couldn't let him read no matter what. Not when she was going to attempt writing smut. She'd die of embarrassment.

Natsu pouted, nudging the girl's side. Oh well. He'd just have to tear apart her apartment later to find her journal.

Once class ended, Lucy, Natsu, and Gray headed towards Fairy Tail to meet up with the rest of the gang. Their walk was filled with the usual Natsu and Gray brawl while Lucy sighed on the sidelines before losing her patience and dragging them along with her. That didn't stop the two boys from giving each other derogatory nicknames the whole time. Lucy's personal favorites were "Ice Princess" and "Ash Tray."

Reaching Fairy Tail, the trio greeted the rest of their friends and sat in their signature spots. As usual, Natsu ordered a whole list of food from the regular waitress, Kinana.

With a mouth stuffed with food, Natsu turned to Lucy and asked, "What're we doin' tonight?"

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. It's not movie night but I wouldn't mind watching a movie anyways."

"Sounds good to-"

"Wait," Erza interrupted, her eyes narrowed at Natsu. "You are not Lucy's only friend. It is unfair that you are the only one that has spent the night there when even Levy hasn't."

"Oi! I'm her best friend! Of course it's fair!" the boy shot back.

"Umm, excuse me?" Levy said, glaring at him. "I've known her the longest! I'm Lucy's best friend!"

"Who cares if you've known her longer? Lucy and I have a connection!"

"Oho? A connection, huh?" Gajeel teased with a smug grin.

In seconds, Natsu and Lucy's faces turned pink.

"Not that kinda connection, idiot!" he shouted. "Either way, I called spending the night at Lucy's! Go find somewhere else to hang out!"

"Oh? Is that a challenge I'm sensing?" Erza questioned, cracking her knuckles in threat.

Lucy awkwardly chuckled. "Umm, shouldn't I get a say in this?"

Gray leaned closer to her. "I would give it up if I were you. Once Erza set her mind on spending the night at your house, it was set in stone."

Natsu leapt onto the table, unbothered by the way everyone else in the pub gawked at him. Smashing a fist into his palm, he gave Erza a wide grin.

"I've been meaning to challenge you to a rematch for a while now! Let's go! Winner spends the night at Lucy's!" he exclaimed.

The redhead calmly stood up, a small grin spread over her face. "I accept your terms."

"Here we go," Jellal said with a sigh.

"Natsu never learns," Levy added.

Lucy ignored them, watching as Natsu charged at Erza. She'd seen Natsu fight just about all of the guys in the group, and she'd seen Erza beat Natsu to a pulp when he was misbehaving, but she'd never witnessed a mutual fight between the two.

Natsu gave a war cry as he thrust a fist towards Erza, who dodged with ease. This didn't deter the boy, as he continued to throw punches and kicks. Their fists clashed, but neither backed down. Lucy was awed at how nimble Natsu was and admired the way Erza blocked or dodged every hit. They were locked in a stalemate.

Until Erza promptly bashed him upside the head, sending him sprawling on the floor.

"Looks like I win again, Natsu," she said with a pleased smile.

The boy groaned. "I'll get you next time, you redheaded monster."

Erza ignored him and faced the rest of the group, planting her hands on her hips and giving them a smile. "So it's settled. We'll be having a girls' day, starting now."

"Girls' day?" Juvia repeated. "Juvia thought we were just spending the night at Lucy's apartment?"

"Yes, but why not make it an all day event? We can go shopping, go out to dinner, and then go back to Lucy's place and share secrets we've never told anyone else!"

Stars practically formed in Erza's eyes, her excitement palpable. There was no turning her down now. The redhead never got the chance to do girly things as she was so used to dealing with the boy's idiocy, she couldn't wait to spend time with the other girls.

"Oi, I had plans with Levy!" Gajeel barked.

"And now those plans are canceled. You can reschedule for tomorrow."

"But I wanna hang out with Lucy too!" Natsu complained. "Lucy! Tell her you're gonna hang out with me!"

The blonde giggled, amused at how attached Natsu was to her. In truth, she felt the same way. But a girls' day sounded fun! She hadn't had one of those since her first lifetime!

"Sorry, Natsu! But you heard Erza. It's girls' day!" Lucy exclaimed.

While the boys were gloomy and depressed at the thought of being without the girls, the girls were actually excited. Even Juvia was starting to get into it. So, they all waved goodbye to their respective boys before rushing out of the guild in a wave of excitement and giggles.

"This is bullshit!" Gajeel shouted. Turning to Jellal, he continued, "Your wife just stole our girlfriends!"

"Lucy's not my girlfriend," Natsu corrected. He was slouched over the table, bored out of his mind now that his best friend was missing from his side.

"Yeah, but you want her to be."

"Oi! Say that again and I'll bash your head into the wall, Metal Mouth!"

"There's no point in denying it," Gray said. "Everyone knows that you like Lucy. Well, everyone except for her- which is weird because isn't she supposed to be smart?"

Natsu blushed from head to toe. He wasn't used to blushing. He hadn't really had problems with his body warming up until he met Lucy.

"I don't like Lucy like that!" he said, glaring at the lot of boys. His hands formed tight fists as he continued, "And even if I did, it doesn't matter! She doesn't feel the same…"

"I know you're stupid, but you can't be _that_ stupid, right?" Gray teased. "Of course she feels the same, idiot."

"It's so obvious," Gajeel added. "Bunny Girl acts differently around you. The both of you are always follwin' each other around. It's disgusting, really."

Natsu picked his head off the table. "…You really think so?"

"What? That's it's disgusting? Yeah, that shits gross."

"Not that, dumbass! I meant about Lucy liking me!"

"Oh. Well that too. You're just too stupid to realize it."

Feeling his cheeks warm, Natsu laid his head on the table again. Even though he doubted the guys were right, the thought of Lucy liking him back made his heart thump wildly in his chest. It was exciting to think about, even though he didn't know what he'd do if she did like him.

What could he do with him being immortal?

"Even if she does like me, which she doesn't," Natsu began glumly, "it doesn't matter. She's a mortal and I'm not."

At that, Gray and Gajeel shared a concerned look. They didn't know what to say to that. After all, everyone knew that relationships between mortals and immortals were harder than most. It was messy and doomed from the start.

This time, Jellal was the one to try to cheer Natsu up.

"Natsu," he started with his usual calm smile, "even though you and Lucy wouldn't be together forever, wouldn't it be nice to explore something you haven't experienced before? You two are very close, but wouldn't you like to be closer? There's so much potential in your relationship, it'd be a waste not to pursue it, even if one day things will end. Every relationship is a gamble, including mine with Erza. We were dear friends who wanted to be more, so we risked our friendship for it. And it turned out to be the best decision of my infinite life."

"But it won't end well when it does end," Natsu replied with a frown. "We don't have long in the outside world. What am I supposed to do then?"

"Why worry about a problem that doesn't exist without the relationship? There is no use dreading that moment when you two aren't even together."

"So what do you think I should do?"

"Take the risk. Even though you'll have to separate one day, the days you spend together will make it worth the pain. They can be the best days you've ever had, you just have to live them first."

* * *

Lucy walked alongside the rest of the girls as they entered Magnolia's shopping mall. It was a large mall with three stories and a variety of shops. Hell, there was a store that only sold Tupperware.

"What store should we go to first?" Levy asked.

"I'd like to buy some new clothes," Erza replied, thus leading the way to the nearest store that sold the cutest clothes.

The four stuck together, picking items that would look good on each other. Lucy found a yellow sweater that would suit Levy perfectly, despite the clash between the yellow and her blue hair. She knew that her friend liked the drastic change in colors.

"I think this would suit you, Lucy," she heard Erza say. Turning towards the redhead, she saw her holding up a red, off-the-shoulder dress. Even though the neckline wasn't as promiscuous as her other dresses, the bottom was tulip shaped, which would make her legs and hips look great.

"That's really pretty!" Lucy replied. "But I'm not really shopping for dresses right now since it's winter. I wouldn't even get the chance to wear it for a while."

"Not unless you go on a date," Erza replied.

In seconds, Lucy's face matched the other girl's hair. "A-A date? Oh, I don't see that happening any time soon, so we can just put the dress back!"

Erza's lips curled into a smirk. "No. I will buy this dress for you as thanks for letting us welcome ourselves into your apartment multiple times. You can wear it on your next date."

Instead of arguing, Lucy nodded her head, her face still burning hot. "O-Okay."

With that, they went to the neighboring store, which sold lingerie. All of the girls except for Levy felt right at home buying this sort of stuff. Even Lucy, despite having nobody to show it off to.

"Here, Levy-chan! I'm sure Gajeel would love to see you in this!" Lucy said, showing the petite girl a strappy, black lingerie set.

Levy groaned in embarrassment. "Can we just go to the next store already?"

After Erza and Juvia bought themselves some lingerie, they decided to head to the food court. There, they split up to get their food: Erza and Juvia at the teriyaki restaurant, Levy at the seafood one, and Lucy at the small McDonalds.

Having already known what she was going to order, Lucy fished in her wallet to get the correct change. It was always an anxiety-induced hassle receiving change and stuffing it back in her wallet after ordering, so she preferred to have everything ready beforehand.

McDonalds was the busiest food place in the mall, so there were five people ahead of her. She was sure that the others were going to finish ordering before her, but she didn't mind. She'd been craving a chicken sandwich for a while.

Just as she was going to move up in line, there was a light tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she found a boy roughly her age with neat blonde hair and emerald eyes staring back at her. He had a nice body, lean and toned, and his smile was nice.

"Hello?" Lucy greeted, cocking her head to the side.

"Uhh, hi!" the boy replied. He rubbed the back of his head nervously, his cheeks a bright shade of pink. With that, Lucy knew what was happening. "Umm, do you come here often?"

She wanted to roll her eyes. He was going with that line? That was the most cliché, overused line in the book. "Not really, no."

"Oh. Well, do you go to the university here in Magnolia?"

"Uhh, yeah. I do."

"Oh, me too! What are you majoring in? I'm majoring in computer science!"

Lucy kept checking the line, praying that she could move forward in line. The sooner she reached the front of the line, the sooner she could end this awkward conversation without hurting the guy's feelings.

"That's cool. I'm majoring in creative writing," she answered, only for the sake of being polite.

"That's amazing! I actually write a little too! But I'm not that good, it's just for fun. Umm, maybe we can get together sometime and show each other our work?"

Lucy wanted to sigh. He seemed like a nice boy, really. He asked questions about her, didn't talk too much about himself, and he even had some shared interests. And there was no denying that he was good looking, but…

He wasn't Natsu.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said with a frown. And she meant it. She never liked rejecting people. At least, not the nice ones. "I don't think that'd be a good idea."

The boy frowned as well. "Oh. You have a boyfriend?"

"Not exactly…"

He nodded. "I get it. Well, I wish you luck with that and thanks for letting me down gently."

Lucy gave him a nervous smile and turned back around. It was awkward standing in line with him still behind her, but she pushed through it for the crispy sandwich she'd been craving.

Once she got her food, she nodded her head slightly to the boy who asked her out before walking towards the sea of tables. She scanned them all, searching for her friends. It wasn't hard to find them when two of them had blue hair and the other scarlet. They were like beacons for her.

"Who was that guy, Lu-chan?" Levy asked once Lucy reached them. "He was cute."

"I don't even know," the blonde replied. She hadn't realized that they didn't even introduce themselves. "He was just asking me out."

"What did you say?" Erza asked, placing all her attention on the other girl. She was rooting for Natsu to make things work with his first crush. so she hoped she'd said no.

"I said no and he was nice about it, thankfully. I hate when boys make a scene over being rejected."

"Do you get asked out a lot?" Juvia asked.

"More like all the time!" Levy answered for the blonde. "Almost every time we get smoothies, some guy would ask her out!"

"It's not like I want them to ask me out," Lucy said. "I'm not into any of them."

"Yeah, because you're into Natsu."

"Levy-chan!"

"It's true, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah but still! Don't just bring it up!"

"That's what girls' day is for, Lu-chan! Talking about the people we like! Have you and Natsu made any progress, by the way? You guys hang out more than we do now!"

Lucy took a sip of her drink and shook her head. "Not really. But I'm fine with that. I don't expect to date Natsu or anything. Things are fine the way they are."

"But what if Natsu did ask you out?" Erza asked.

"That wouldn't happen."

"Humor me."

Lucy blushed at the thought of Natsu asking her out, wondering how he would do it. Would he make some grand gesture? Or would he just pop the question while watching a movie? Would he ask her on a date first or straight into a relationship?

Either way…

"I-I'm not sure," Lucy answered, staring at the table with a frown. Even though she liked Natsu, she hadn't acted on her feelings for many reasons. For starters, she didn't want to ruin their friendship. She also didn't want to deal with the mess of dating with her reincarnation.

If they were to date, one of them would die eventually. If she died first, she'd have to be born again and see Natsu had moved on with someone else while she'd have to start over with the thought of him fresh in her mind. And if it wasn't her that died first, then it'd be him.

Both thoughts were devastating.

And it wasn't like her friends would understand her dilemma.

"I don't think I'm ready," Lucy answered honestly. "I want to be, but I'm not."

"That's totally fine," Levy assured, placing a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder. "It's fine not being ready."

"Gray wasn't ready to date Juvia for a long time," the blue-headed girl added. "Juvia had to wait for years." Eight years, to be exact.

Erza frowned. "I'm sorry if it came off as me pressuring you. That wasn't my intention."

"No, no, it's fine," Lucy assured. "I think… I think one day I could be ready."

Or at least she hoped.

* * *

Once they finished shopping, the girls headed back to Lucy's apartment. Lucy set up a movie they could watch, but it ended up only being background noise as the girls talked all the way through it. This time, they didn't just talk about boys- though Juvia did bring up Gray quite a bit. They talked about anything and everything, laughing the entire time.

"You're saying that you'd rather live in space than the bottom of the ocean?" Levy asked, bewildered. They were currently playing a game of would you rather.

"Duh!" Lucy replied. "First of all, I would be closer to the stars. Second of all, do you know how terrifying it would be at the bottom of the ocean? It'd be pitch black! And most of the ocean is unchartered territory! Who knows what's down there!"

"That's all the more reason to go down there and find out for yourself!"

"I'm with Lucy. I would rather go to space. That way I can see what it's like without gravity," Erza chimed in. "What about you, Juvia?"

"Juvia would rather go to the bottom of the ocean. Juvia loves the sea," the blue-headed girl answered. "Would you rather go back in time for five minutes or into the future for five minutes? Juvia would go to the future to see what her lovely Gray-sama would look like!"

"I'd go to the future to see what the world is like by then," Levy said.

"I'd go to the past. I want my future to be a surprise," Erza answered.

"Me too," Lucy agreed. That, and she could change some mistakes she made. Especially mistakes from her second lifetime… Shaking her head, she forced those thoughts to the back of her mind. Tonight was about having fun, not wallowing in the past.

* * *

Hours felt like minutes as they talked about the most random things and played games. Soon enough, it was already three in the morning.

"I'm going to go to bed now," Levy announced with a yawn. "I have work in the morning."

"Juvia is tired too," the other girl added.

"Goodnight then, everyone," Erza said, laying down on the floor.

In no time, Lucy was the only one left awake. Grabbing her phone, she found that there weren't any texts from Natsu, which was surprising. Usually, he'd be blowing up her phone whenever they weren't hanging out.

"Are you awake?" she typed. She didn't want to wake him up, but she hoped he was awake. Luckily, her phone buzzed not too long after she sent the text.

"Duh. You know I don't sleep this early," Natsu replied. "How's girls' day?"

"A lot of fun," Lucy answered with a smile. "But I guess I sort of miss a certain idiot who hasn't texted me all day."

"My bad, my bad! I wanted to let you have fun with the other girls! And I got dragged into some kinda bro day."

"Bro day?"

"It's our revenge against the girls for not inviting us."

Lucy giggled quietly. "How's that going?"

"Ehh, it's alright I guess. Everyone's asleep now, though. Wbu?"

"Same. Now I'm bored."

Lucy stared at her screen, waiting for Natsu to text back. He usually texted back in seconds, but it'd been five minutes now. Had he fallen asleep? Just when she was about to put away her phone for the night, it vibrated.

"On my way! See ya soon! :D"

Lucy's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Her fingers were fast as bullets as she typed back, "Are you serious? It's 3 in the morning!"

"Who cares? I'm bored too and I wanna see you! I'll be there in five!"

"It's a twenty minute walk!"

"Yeah, and I've got a six minute mile time. What's your point?"

"Okay fine!"

Lucy grinned, locking her phone. Her heart was beating so fast, she felt it would beat right out of her chest. Her crush was running over to her place at three in the morning because he wanted to see her.

Grabbing her pillow, she shoved her face in it and squealed. She was lucky she didn't wake any of the girls up. She didn't want them to know that Natsu was coming. The moment felt like a special one that was only between them and she wanted to keep it that way.

Seven minutes later, Lucy's phone lit up.

"Here!" read the text that Natsu had sent her.

Lucy carefully got out of bed so as not to stir Levy who was sleeping beside her, tiptoed over Erza who was sleeping on the floor, and crept by Juvia who was asleep on the couch. She made it all the way to the door without making a noise. Slowly turning the knob, she opened the door, relieved that it didn't creak.

Closing the door behind her, Lucy turned to see Natsu standing outside her apartment. He was dressed in shorts, a tee shirt, and running shoes. Sweat dotted his face and his pink tufts of hair were messier than usual.

"You lied," Lucy said, locking her hands behind her back and grinning at him. "It took you seven minutes to get here, not five. Looks like your mile time is going down."

"Oi! It's three in the morning! Cut me some slack!" Natsu replied, playfully shoving her. "So can I spend the night too or is it still girls' day?"

"Still girls' day. Besides, Juvia's in your spot."

"In the bed?"

A vein ticked in Lucy's forehead. Poking him in the chest, she said, "Your spot isn't on the bed. It's the couch. You just have listening problems."

Natsu grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer so he could stare into her eyes while giving her his signature, mischievous grin. "That's funny, because every time I sneak into your bed, you use me as your human heater."

Lucy's face was set ablaze as Natsu's breath fanned over hers. They were close. Too close. And yet, she didn't have it in her to move away. Her legs were shaking. She felt if she moved even an inch, she'd topple over. Her heart was racing. She cursed her body for acting the way it did.

Her eyes darted to his lips and she subconsciously licked her own, not noticing the effect it had on Natsu. In all of the books she'd ever read or the movies she'd seen, the guy was always the one that made the first move. Her body screamed at her to change that. To give into her insatiable cravings and press her lips against Natsu's. All of her friends told her he felt the same, why not find out the truth now?

She pressed forward just a bit before stopping herself. Thoughts of her conversation from earlier with the girls replayed in her mind. Thoughts about dating Natsu and thoughts about how it'd end.

She wasn't ready. And with her reincarnation, she feared she never would be.

Feeling deflated, Lucy tugged her arm free from Natsu's grasp, letting it fall freely to her side. Sighing, she leaned against her door and stared at the starry sky. Her mother from her first lifetime told her that everyone who dies turns into a star, and that the nicer you are in your life, the brighter your star would be. Since then, death didn't scare her so much. She would just become a bright star that shined down on the loved ones she left behind. But reincarnation stole that away from her. Just as it had with everything else.

Natsu stared at Lucy. Seconds ago, the atmosphere was light, and it seemed like they were having a nice moment. In fact, he could've sworn he saw her lean closer. His hopes had told him it was for a kiss. But now, she was frowning and staring at the stars. She usually smiled when she did that.

"Lucy? Are you okay?" Natsu asked in concern. He loved her smile and hated seeing her upset. Did he do something wrong?

Lucy's gaze never wavered, her stare glued to the sky above. "Natsu, do you believe in reincarnation?"

"Reincarnation?"

"The act of being reborn after you die. Do you believe in it?"

Natsu frowned. He knew what it meant, but he didn't know where the question was coming from. Just what exactly was on her mind? Seeing as how Lucy's gaze hadn't moved, he figured he needed to tread lightly. To answer her question to the best of his ability.

Did he believe in reincarnation? He'd thought about it a few times, but that was before he found out he was immortal. Now, it didn't apply to him. But could it apply to the mortals?

"I don't think I do," he finally answered, rubbing the back of his head. He figured that if they weren't cursed with being immortal like he was, then their lives just simply ended. He had no clue what came after death, but the thought of mortals being reincarnated while his life continued forever didn't make sense to him for some reason.

Lucy smiled, but Natsu noticed immediately that it didn't reach her eyes. Had he messed up? Did she want him to say that he believed in reincarnation?

Hoping to fix it, Natsu said, "Reincarnation sounds awesome though!" Wanting to lighten the mood, he joked, "I just hope I wouldn't be reincarnated as Gray's son or somethin' like that."

Lucy didn't seem to find any humor in his comment. She still hadn't looked at him. He hated it.

"Yeah," she finally said. Finally, she turned to face him with a smile. "Well, I better go back inside. It's still girls' day and I feel like a traitor spending time with you. I'll see you tomorrow, Natsu."

As Lucy reached towards the doorknob, Natsu grabbed her wrist. It was clear she was upset about something, and he couldn't just let her leave like that. He wanted to fix it. He wanted to help her the way she helped him last night.

"Lucy, can you tell me why you're upset?" Natsu pleaded, his eyes searching hers as if the answer would shine through them.

Lucy stared at the ground, her lips curling into a frown. "I wish I could."

"You can tell me anything, Lucy. We're best friends, remember? I just wanna help."

Lucy studied him. Concern was etched into his features as he stared right back at her. There were no signs of deceit anywhere on his face.

She wanted to confide in him, she really did. She wanted so badly to speak of her reincarnation and to get everything off of her chest. He was her best friend. He trusted her and told her about his father, she felt wrong keeping this from him when he was just trying to help.

But would he believe her? He'd already told her that he didn't believe in reincarnation.

" _He'd probably just laugh in my face,"_ Lucy thought, biting her lip. After all, how was he supposed to believe her? She wouldn't have believed someone in her first lifetime either if they'd told her they'd been reincarnated. He'd probably just have her locked in some mental ward.

And what if he actually did believe her? Would he be scared of her? Would he send her away to some science lab to be dissected?

Either way, she couldn't tell him.

"I-I'm sorry," Lucy said, shaking her head and refusing to meet eye contact. "I-I know you told me about your dad and I should trust you, but I just… I can't."

"You can't trust me?" Natsu asked. His heart squeezed in pain.

"No! I do trust you!" Lucy said, lifting her gaze to meet his. It was obvious her words had hurt him, and she hated herself for it. "I'm sorry. I meant I just can't talk about this."

Natsu was quiet in thought, which scared Lucy. She hoped he wasn't mad at her, but she wouldn't blame him if he was. He had confided in her about something that plagued his mind for years and yet she couldn't bring herself to do the same.

"Alright. I'll drop it," Natsu finally said. "I don't wanna pressure you into talking about things you aren't ready to talk about."

Lucy's mouth parted as she stared at him. Her throat felt like it was getting tighter as tears pricked her eyes. "…You aren't mad at me?"

"What? 'Course not, weirdo. Why would I be mad?"

"B-Because you just told me about your dad and yet I won't tell you about this! It's unfair to you!"

Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He watched as the tears that gathered in Lucy's eyes spilled down her cheeks.

"It's not unfair, Lucy," he said, his voice serious. "Just because I was ready to talk about something doesn't mean you have to be. We're different people. Ain't nothing wrong with that."

Lucy's resolve shattered and she threw her arms around Natsu, hugging him tightly. Her body shook as she cried. She felt one of Natsu's hands land on her back while the other cupped the back of her head, letting her tears soak through his shirt. Minutes passed by without either of them saying a word.

Eventually, Lucy's sobs turned into sniffles, which led to her having a bad case of the hiccups. And even though she wasn't able to talk about her reincarnation with Natsu, she felt as though a large weight was lifted off her shoulders.

"Thank you for being so understanding," Lucy said, pulling herself away from Natsu and rubbing her face.

"Don't mention it," Natsu replied. He shoved his hands back in his pockets. "Listen, like I said, I'm not gonna pressure you into telling me anything. But if you ever do wanna talk about it, I'll be there. I'm always gonna be there for you, Lucy."

Lucy blushed from the look he was giving her, and for a brief moment, she wondered if her friends were right about Natsu liking her back.

"Thank you," she said. "I really should go back inside. Thank you again, Natsu."

The boy ruffled her hair, giving her a toothy grin. "Quit thankin' me, you weirdo. I'll see you at Fairy Tail tomorrow."

"Okay. Goodnight, Natsu."

"Night, Lucy."

* * *

 **AN:** Do you guys think I'm rushing their relationship? I hope not. It's been a while since I had to develop their relationship though so I'm out of practice with the timing haha!

Thank you to the reviewers: **MillennialStargazer, Nalulove, KarinStalker24, Stellar, Guest, MasterGildarts, SleepinBeautyK, ThaDesperado64, OneLivesAgain, Alexa60765, KatanaNoNeko, Soul Eater Maka, SilenceKiller94, XxStar'sDustxX, Lunar13, valerioux, Stubenhocker, Weevilcat, stranger1999, AzvenusKestel, shootingstarssel, Piglets12, Kitty9453, NaLuAlways26,** **FairyRains, Mannyegb, WolfessLizi, Yashagirl89, Cher, PrincessEmag, Mandapandaa, Duchixx.**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** I'm glad that most of you don't think I'm rushing their relationship! Thank you to everyone that gave me feedback last chapter! It was all very helpful! :D

* * *

Chapter 14

Jealousy

A sweet aroma filled Lucy's nostrils, strong enough to wake her from her sleep. Rolling over, the blonde realized that the spot beside her was missing a certain book-loving friend of hers.

"Rise and shine, Lu-chan!" Levy said, standing at the foot of the bed. She'd been up since eight even though it was a Saturday morning, but knowing that Lucy loved her sleep, she let the blonde sleep in.

"Morning, Levy-chan," Lucy replied, rubbing her eyes. They were a tad swollen from her lack of sleep. Once Natsu left last night, she'd spent much of the night tossing and turning, her thoughts reeling back to their conversation. "What's that smell?"

"Oh, Juvia and Erza are making pancakes. Well, _Juvia_ is making the pancakes while Erza sits on the side and makes sure that she does it right."

"Sounds like something Erza would do."

"I heard that," the redhead chimed in. "And get ready for breakfast, Lucy. There's a special ingredient in the pancakes, you aren't going to want to miss out on these!"

Knowing there was no use in arguing for another five minutes to sleep, Lucy dragged herself out of bed to grab a change of clothes and freshen up in the bathroom. Hopefully, a nice long shower would do just the trick for her eyes.

Twenty minutes later- she cut her shower short so as not to keep her friends waiting- Lucy exited the bathroom, a bellow of steam trailing after her. Feeling rejuvenated, she sat by her friends with a smile as Juvia placed a plate of pancakes in front of her. She grabbed her fork and hesitantly cut into them- she'd been paranoid after trying Natsu's pancakes.

Luckily, these ones were actually cooked all the way and were delicious. And just as Erza promised, there was a special ingredient mixed in.

"The strawberries taste good," Lucy complimented, going in for another bite.

"That was my idea," Erza said with a prideful grin. She'd been known around Fairy Tail to devour any and all desserts that contained strawberries in it. Her favorite was Mira's strawberry shortcake. Once, a fight between Natsu and Gray had caused her to drop her cake, and that didn't end too well for either of them.

"That sleepover was fun last night!" Levy said. "We have to do this again sometime!"

"Yeah, but maybe next time we can do it at your place!" Lucy suggested. "I've still never been over to your place!"

"Uhh, mine wouldn't do! I live in the dorms and they're really strict about having people over after a certain time! We wouldn't be able to stay up and have fun!"

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. Then what about your place, Erza?"

The redhead tensed. "Well, my place wouldn't be ideal either. Since Jellal would be there, it wouldn't be a _true_ girls' day, correct?"

"I suppose. Then what about you, Juvia?"

"Juvia has a roommate, so Juvia can't have sleepovers like this!" the blue-headed girl replied.

Lucy groaned, crossing her arms. "That sucks! I want to see all of your apartments!"

"Nothing can be done, I suppose," Erza replied. Even though a part of her felt bad for lying to Lucy, there was nothing that could be done. Unlike Natsu, she wasn't going to risk blowing their secret over feeling guilty.

Once they were finished eating, Lucy took the dirty dishes to the sink. Gratefully accepting Levy's offer to help wash them, the girls chatted while cleaning up.

"We never got to share secrets last night!" Levy exclaimed.

Erza gasped. "You're right. It totally slipped my mind. Well, there's no stopping us from doing it now. Shall we?"

"Well since it was your idea, you should go first."

"I suppose that is agreeable." Erza scavenged her memories for any type of secret that she hadn't told Levy or Juvia. Having been with them for a long time, it was proving to be difficult. It didn't help that she had lived such a long life, many of the years that she lived were practically forgotten. "Oh, I've got one. There was once a time in my life when I got a little too intoxicated and went to the nearest bakery and spent over four hundred dollars in cake."

Levy stifled a laugh. "As much as I want to say that's surprising, it actually isn't. At all."

"I can just picture the bakers wondering what you were going to do with that much cake," Lucy added, exploding in a fit of laughter.

Erza crossed her arms, an amused grin on her face. "With how much money I gave them, they were pretty pleased. Levy, you're up."

The girl tapped her chin with her finger, trying to think of a secret she hadn't told anyone, not even Gajeel. The moment one came to mind, a blush stained her cheeks.

"Looks like Levy has a secret," Juvia pointed out. "What is it?"

"U-Umm, it's nothing!" she lied, followed by awkward laughter.

"You will tell us," Erza demanded, a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

Levy groaned. Burying her face in her hands, the girl squeaked, "I have a large collection of smutty books that I've kept hidden from everyone! Not even Gajeel has seen them!"

The other girls gasped, leaning closer.

"No way!" Lucy shouted. "I didn't know you were into those kinds of stories, Levy-chan!"

"It is nothing to be embarrassed of," Erza added. "I, too, have my own collection of erotic stories. Sometimes Jellal and I read them together and-"

"Okay, I think that's enough of that!" Lucy interrupted, her cheeks just as bright as Levy's now. "Juvia, how about your secret?"

The blue-haired girl frowned. "Juvia does not recall having any secrets."

"Everyone has secrets, Juvia! Come on, think really hard!"

Juvia rubbed her temples in thought. "Hmm, this one will make Juvia sound like a bad person."

"Nothing will ever make us think you're a bad person!"

"Once, Juvia got angry with an ex after he broke up with her, so Juvia egged his house and his car."

"Why'd he break up with you?" Levy asked.

"He said Juvia was too gloomy."

Lucy cupped her chin. "You know, it's kind of hard to picture you with someone other than Gray. I can't imagine you loving someone else."

A warm smile stretched over Juvia's lips, her cheeks turning pink. "It is true that Juvia has loved before, but it's never been as strong as Juvia's love for Gray."

Lucy's brows rose in thought. Even though she wasn't in love, she felt she could somewhat relate to Juvia's statement. She'd had plenty of crushes in her life, and even a boyfriend at one point. But none of those feelings had ever ran as deep as her feelings for Natsu did.

"What about you, Lucy?" Erza asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. "What's your secret?"

" _I can name plenty,"_ the blonde thought. One of those secrets were bigger than life. But not being able to tell them about that one, she decided to tell them the secret that had been plaguing her thoughts ever since last night.

Lucy's cheeks were set ablaze. Fidgeting in her seat, she stared at just about anything but the other girls. She fumbled with her fingers, trying to find a way to articulate her jumbled thoughts.

With a sigh, she figured she'd give it to them straight.

"I almost kissed Natsu last night."

"YOU WHAT!?" the girls exclaimed at once. They crowded Lucy, making her blush even more.

"I want details, now!" Levy shouted. "How did this happen!? We were with you all day yesterday! Other than in your math class, but I know you wouldn't make a move on him in class!"

Lucy groaned. "Don't call it a _move._ It wasn't like I planned it or anything. And it happened last night, after you guys went to sleep."

"Natsu came over?" Erza asked. "On girls' day?"

"Yeah, but don't get mad! I told him I missed him so he came here. We were talking outside and somehow we got really close. Next thing I knew, I found myself leaning closer to him!"

"How are you two not together already!?" Levy asked.

Her question went ignored as Juvia said, "I thought Lucy wasn't ready for a relationship?"

Lucy sighed. "I'm not. That's why the kiss didn't happen. I realized what I was about to do right after I started leaning in and I stopped myself."

"What did Natsu say?" Erza questioned.

"I'm pretty sure he didn't notice. I stopped myself really quickly. If he did notice, he probably just thought that I momentarily lost my balance or something like that. He didn't say anything about it or acknowledge it any way, so I think I'm in the clear."

"I know you said that you aren't ready for a relationship yet, but I'm rooting for you guys, Lu-chan!" Levy said, smiling at her friend.

"Thank you, Levy-chan," the blonde replied. "Like I said yesterday, I want to be ready. And maybe that almost-kiss is a sign of me slowly moving forward!"

"Moving forward from what, if I may ask," Erza questioned. "You say that you aren't ready, but is there a reason? Is there perhaps an ex-boyfriend that made you scared of dating again?"

"No, not at all! I've only had one boyfriend, but it didn't end badly. It's just that I've never been in a real relationship before and the thought of it scares me. My inexperience, that is."

Among other things.

"We all start out inexperienced, but there's no way of getting over that fear without trying it out. Nevertheless, you should wait until you're ready."

Lucy nodded. Erza's words comforted her. Even though she wasn't ready, she still had plenty of time.

* * *

"Alright, I better get going now," Levy said an hour later. By then, the entire apartment was spotless after their night of fun. "I have work soon and I still need to get home so I can get ready."

"We'll all leave so that you can have your alone time," Erza told Lucy. "Though, knowing you and Natsu, you probably won't be alone for very long."

Lucy blushed. "Yeah, yeah. Make sure you all text me when you get home!" After waving goodbye to her friends and seeing them out, the blonde collapsed on her couch with a relieved sigh. She had a blast with them last night, but Erza was right. She needed some alone time.

Since she just took a shower, taking a bath was out of the question- her water bill was expensive enough as it was. That only left writing.

Pulling out her writing journal, Lucy flipped to the section she dedicated to her newest story. She was glad that she hadn't worked her way to any of the smut yet. She wasn't sure she was ready to write about something she wasn't even close to experiencing yet.

" _I can't believe Levy-chan reads this sort of stuff,"_ Lucy thought. " _Even I haven't read it before. I wonder if I should let her read this story."_

The thought of Levy reading an erotic story she had written had her shaking her head profusely.

" _Nope, nope, nope! Not happening!"_ She could already picture Levy teasing her, asking who the story was about.

Picking up her favorite pen, Lucy began to write. She took what she had learned from all of her creative writing classes and put the knowledge to good use. Writing the beginnings of stories was easy for the girl, it was the blasted middle section that spurred up her annoying writer's block.

Luckily, working on a bunch of different stories at once actually managed to help Lucy. If she got stuck with one, she would just flip to the other. Even writing just one sentence at a time for each of her stories was helpful.

Hearing her phone vibrate, Lucy unlocked it to find three new text messages, each of them from the girls letting her know that they got home safe.

" _It's weird that they all got home at the same time,"_ she thought, but shrugged it off. She had already learned from Levy that they all lived near each other. Thus, she went back to writing.

Half an hour passed by without Lucy noticing. She was so immersed in writing, she hadn't heard her window creak open. She did, however, feel a gentle breeze wash over her.

"Oh, it's a little cold in here," Lucy mused to herself.

"Then put a jacket on, weirdo."

A shrill yelp slipped past Lucy's lips as she whirled around in her chair. Immediately, she was met with onyx eyes that held a mischievous gleam to them and a wide, cheeky grin. Her brows slanted, glaring at the boy in front of her.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted, smacking the boy's arm. "What did I tell you about breaking in here?"

Natsu cackled, catching her arm before she could hit him again. "I told ya, Luce. If you lock the window, I won't come in. You're the one leaving it unlocked for me! You want me coming in here unannounced!"

A blush settled over the girl's face. "I-I do not!"

"Yeah, yeah. So, whatcha doing?"

Remembering that her journal was out, Lucy quickly turned around and shoved it out of sight. "Nothing."

Natsu smirked. "Oh, really? Because it looks like you were writing."

"What? Psh, no way."

"Promise?"

"Mhmm."

Natsu's smirk grew as he held a pinky out towards her. "Pinky promise?"

Lucy pouted, tearing her gaze away. "Whatever."

Natsu laughed. Lucy's pout was just about the most adorable thing in the world, not that he'd ever say that aloud. He loved annoying her just so that he could see that cute face of hers.

"Let's do something, Lucy!" Natsu said, plopping onto her bed. "I'm bored and it's Saturday! Erza and the others are at Fairy Tail now, but I think everyone's splitting up for the day. And I don't wanna share you today!"

Lucy flushed from his last comment before she caught something. "Wait, you said that Erza and the others are at Fairy Tail? Like who?"

Natsu quired a brow. "You know, like everyone."

Lucy arched a brow. " _Didn't they just tell me that they were home?"_ Grabbing her phone, she looked back at the texts and saw that they were sent half an hour ago. " _Maybe they went straight to Fairy Tail after getting ready at their places."_

Still, something didn't sit quite right with Lucy. She couldn't quite name it, but it wasn't adding up. There had been many times that things didn't add up with her friends, but she'd always shrugged them off.

Now, she was starting to get suspicious.

" _First there's what happened with Gray, then they all tell me I can't come over to their places, and now this?"_

Lucy frowned. She didn't like being suspicious of her friends, but she couldn't help it. She felt like they were hiding something from her. Admittedly, she had secrets of her own, but that didn't stop her from feeling a bit wary. And with a secret like hers, it was best to be on her toes.

It was like she was trying to solve a puzzle when it came to her friends. Each time they said something strange, it was like she acquired a new piece to it. And with the pieces she had so far, she couldn't piece them all together to figure out what was going on.

Lucy glanced at Natsu, who was currently rummaging through her pantry. She wondered if he was in on whatever they were hiding.

" _I'm sure he is."_

Still, it was hypocritical of her to be mad at them for hiding things from her when she was doing the same to them. So, she shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind, hoping that they wouldn't return.

"Buy your own food," Lucy said, meeting Natsu in the kitchen.

"But that's so much work," the boy whined.

"Well too bad. I'm running out of food thanks to you."

"Then let's go out somewhere. I'm starving!"

Lucy's heart skipped a beat. "Go out somewhere?" She couldn't help but imagine Natsu asking her out on a date.

"Yeah. That way you don't have to cook and we don't use any of your food," Natsu replied with a shrug.

"O-Okay."

They walked out together in a content silence, allowing Lucy to drown in her own thoughts. She figured that hanging out with Natsu would've been a little awkward after what happened last night, but luckily, he pretended that it never happened. He treated her the same way he always had, which also meant he must not have noticed her try to kiss him. She was grateful for that.

Meanwhile, Natsu's brain was short circuiting. He'd long since accepted his feelings for the Heartfilia heiress. They were deep, packed with much more passion than a simple crush.

It was scary.

Natsu had never experienced these feelings before, and he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Well, he knew what most people did with them, but he wasn't most people. Neither was Lucy. He couldn't just do some sweet, romantic gesture that swept her off her feet. He wasn't a knight in shining armor or some prince. Mushy feelings weren't his forte.

But, he hoped that by asking her to go out to eat with him was some sort of progress. Sure, they'd been out as just friends before, but he hoped it was different this time. After all, he could've sworn he saw in her lean in last night.

" _Maybe the guys are right,"_ he thought, his heart picking up in speed. " _Maybe she does like me."_

The thought was scary, but also invigorating. He'd had many girls swoon over him before, but this time the feelings were mutual.

Natsu bit back a groan. He didn't know how long he'd be able to hide his feelings.

Reaching an Italian restaurant downtown, Natsu led the way inside. The hostess was a girl around their age with orange braided pigtails and freckles spread over her cheeks.

"Table for two?" she asked.

Natsu couldn't help but blush. Ducking his face behind his scarf, he nodded. With that, the hostess led them to a table in the back of the restaurant. She handed them menus and left them alone to look them over.

"Ooh, look at all the pasta!" Lucy exclaimed.

"That's why I brought ya here. That's all you eat at Fairy Tail," Natsu replied with a grin.

Lucy blushed, fumbling with the edges of the menu. So he knew her order. That was romantic, right?

Soon enough, their waiter came by to introduce himself. Immediately, his eyes wandered towards Lucy, a hungry gleam in his eyes as they trailed towards her breasts. Natsu gritted his teeth, his fingers itching to deck the guy in the face.

"Hey there, I'm Bora. Can I get you a drink?" he asked Lucy. He didn't even acknowledge Natsu's presence, further annoying the boy.

Lucy glanced up from her menu, her eyes meeting the dark orbs of their waiter. He was relatively tall and in good shape. His features were sharp, his hair a dark shade of blue. The only distinctive feature of the boy was the strange tattoo over his right eyebrow.

"I'll just have a water," she answered, staring back at the menu.

"Oh, healthy. Good choice!" Bora replied.

Lucy nodded, expecting him to ask Natsu what he wanted to drink. Instead, she found Bora was still staring at her- well, at her chest- obviously trying to come up with something to say. The urge to sigh was hard to stifle.

"Natsu, what are you going to drink?" Lucy asked, hoping that it would remind Bora of his job. Luckily, it managed to work as the waiter finally turned towards Natsu.

Natsu stared at Bora, his eyes cold as ice. With the most threatening voice he could muster, he gritted out, "Water." Fear flashed in Bora's eyes. It was hard not to laugh.

Finally, the waiter headed towards the back with quick steps, leaving them alone.

Natsu sighed in relief, looking over his menu again. That wasn't the first time he'd seen Lucy being hit on. Hell, she was asked out at least once a week. Whenever it happened, he tried to look as threatening as possible, which usually worked in scaring them away.

Part of him felt bad for doing so. Not for the leering boys' sakes, but for Lucy's. It wasn't his place to scare away guys that were into her, but with their lust-filled gazes trained on her breasts, it was obvious they didn't really want Lucy, they only wanted her body.

Lucy deserved better than that. She deserved someone that knew how to cheer her up when she was sad, or knew what kind of movie she would want to watch for movie night. Someone that loved listening to her words because her voice was the most pleasing sound of all. Someone that could make her laugh all day. Someone who could make her feel cared for.

Someone like him.

Natsu peeked over his menu at Lucy. A pleasant smile was spread over her face as she happily hummed, trying to pick something to eat.

He felt like a hypocrite. Sure, the guys he scared away were bad for Lucy, but at least they were brave enough to make a move. All he could do was ask her to grab food with him. Hell, he didn't even make it clear that this was supposed to be different than their normal, friendly outings.

"Is there anything I can get you two to eat?" someone asked. Natsu looked up to find a girl placing their glasses of water in front of them. Bora must've been so scared, he had someone else take over their order.

"I'll have the shrimp alfredo please," Lucy said with a smile.

"I'll have the meat platter," Natsu added.

The waitress nodded, taking their menus and heading towards the back.

Lucy faced Natsu.

"Do you want to play UNO?" she asked.

"UNO? You brought that with you?" Natsu questioned. Seeing the blonde grin as she pulled out the card game, he chuckled. "You're sucha weirdo."

"What? We can play while they make our food!"

"I guess I can kick your ass real quick."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Please. You're talking to the UNO champion, remember? You still haven't beaten me once!"

"Because you cheated!"

"I did not!"

Natsu watched as Lucy shuffled the deck. It was always satisfying to see the cards being shuffled so quickly. Once she handed out all the cards, the game began. Natsu frowned, picking up from the deck as he didn't have any blue cards. Meanwhile, Lucy seemed to have everything she needed, never having to draw a card once.

The game was over in an instant.

Natsu crossed his arms, glaring at Lucy.

"You cheated! It must be when you're doin' that fancy shuffling trick! You give yourself the good cards!" he shouted.

Lucy glared right back at him. "I do not! And I only shuffled the deck because _somebody_ completely destroyed the last deck while trying to shuffle!"

"Those cards were faulty!"

"No, you're faulty!"

The two bickered, not noticing their voices rising or the way they were leaning closer to each other in their heated discussion. Soon enough, they were bumping heads, literally.

"Quit being such a sore loser!"

"Then you quit bein' a cheater!"

Natsu tugged on Lucy's cheek while she pulled on his scarf. These kinds of arguments were normal for the two. To them, it was nothing to worry about, it was all in good fun. To innocent bystanders, however…

"U-Umm, I'm going to have to ask you two to keep it down," their waitress said.

The two turned towards the girl, still tugging on each other. Lucy's cheeks burned bright red as she pushed the boy away from her and sat back down. She hadn't realized that they were being rowdy.

"I'm sorry!" she squeaked, bowing her head in apology.

The waitress nodded, heading towards another table.

Natsu smirked, crossing his arms behind his head. "Way to go, Lucy. You got us in trouble."

"You got us in trouble, idiot!" Lucy replied, glaring at him. She groaned. "Why does this always happen whenever I'm around you?"

"Because I'm awesome!"

"That's definitely not it."

Before they could start bickering again, their waitress came back with their food. She placed the steaming plates in front of them before heading towards another table. Lucy and Natsu grinned at each other before digging in.

Lucy had long since gotten used to Natsu's animalistic way of eating. No matter how much she nagged at him, the boy refused to take his time and savor each bite. Instead, he scarfed his food down in large bites. Food spewed everywhere, hung out of his mouth, and even landed in Lucy's hair sometimes. It was gross, but again, she'd gotten used to it.

Once they finished eating, Natsu was slouched in his seat, his hand resting over his stomach. He managed to eat his entire platter of meat, and also stole a few bites of Lucy's pasta. He was stuffed.

"I gotta go to the bathroom," he said, getting out of his seat.

Lucy sighed, feeling bad for whoever was going to have to clean the bathrooms later that night. She'd learned that Natsu could really stink up a bathroom after a large meal.

"Would you like a box for that?" someone asked once Natsu was gone. Lucy looked up to answer when she found that it was Bora talking to her.

"Oh. Uhh, yes please," she replied politely. Bora smirked, sliding into Natsu's side of the booth. " _Wasn't he supposed to get me a box?"_

"So, what brings you here?" he asked, resting his head in the palm of his hands and leaning closer to the girl.

"Umm, the food?"

"I meant in Magnolia. Are you here for school?"

"Yeah."

"What are you majoring in?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel like sharing that information with you."

Bora gave a look as if he'd been slapped in the face. He recovered quickly with that annoying grin of his. "Hard to get, huh? That's cool with me. I don't mind working a bit for the reward."

Lucy glared at him. "Reward?"

"You know what I'm talking about. And let me tell you, you're quite the catch."

Natsu patted his belly as he exited the bathroom. He headed straight for their table, stopping in his tracks when he found Bora sitting in his seat, chatting to Lucy, who looked annoyed if her slanted brows and crossed arms were anything to go off of. Bora had quite the nerve, waiting for him to leave so he could make a move. His fingers flexed, curling into tight fists. Stalking closer to the two, he could get a better hear of their conversation.

"I'm not a _catch,_ " Lucy stated, glaring at the boy sitting across from her. She always hated men that looked at women like they were just prizes to be won. It reminded her of the stuffy old men that she was forced to mingle with during her father's work parties, always telling her to smile because her job was to sit there and look pretty.

"Oh but you are," Bora drawled out, his eyes lowering to her chest. His smirk grew when he saw Lucy try to cover herself. "You're the biggest catch here. Hey, why don't we go out sometime?"

"No thanks."

"Why not?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Bora gave a frustrated look. As much as he loved girls who played hard to get, he was losing his patience. "Is it because of pinky?"

"Excuse me?" Lucy asked incredulously.

"Is that guy with the pink hair your boyfriend or something? There's no way someone like you can fall for some brute like that guy."

Natsu wanted to turn the guy to ashes at this point but he held himself back, wanting to hear what Lucy was going to say. And considering he could read her like a book, he knew that she was going to unleash a fury that only few knew that she had. So, he grinned, waiting for the show to start.

"Take that back," Lucy gritted out.

"Take what back?" Bora asked. "About you liking that guy?"

"His name is Natsu, and he isn't just _some brute._ So, take it back."

"Listen, I'm not here to talk about that guy, I-"

"Natsu."

"Whatever."

Lucy slammed her hands on the table, rising from her seat. "I'm not going to let you sit here and disrespect my friend like that! Or me, for that matter! Now apologize!"

Bora rolled his eyes. "Calm down. I didn't disrespect either of you."

"Calm down? Don't you tell me to calm down! I don't even know you and yet you have the audacity to tell me to calm down! I was calm, and that didn't seem to work at getting you to leave me the hell alone! But then you just had to go and insult the one person you should _never_ insult in front of me!"

"Why are you yelling and making such a scene? I just wanted to go out on a date!"

"Well did you ever think that maybe I don't? I don't know you! I don't want to go on a date with some stranger, especially one that thinks it's okay to insult my friends!"

Bora glared at Lucy, getting up from his seat. "Alright, fine! I get it! You don't have to be such a bitch about it!"

Lucy gasped, having rarely been called that word. She was about to retort when a fist crashed into Bora's cheek, sending him flying back and sprawled on the floor. Natsu stood over him, rage filling his onyx orbs.

Natsu yanked Bora up to his feet with one hand. Lucy had never seen the boy so angry before.

"What the hell, man!?" Bora shouted, trying to wriggle free from Natsu's grip on his collar.

"You're lucky that's all I did," Natsu replied. His voice was darker than normal. "Now, say you're sorry."

"What? No way! I didn't do anything wrong!" Natsu held up another fist, which had the other boy screaming in fear. "Alright, alright! I'm sorry, okay!? Don't hit my face again!"

Natsu dropped Bora, letting him fall on the floor with a loud thud. Fishing in his pocket, he grabbed the correct amount of change to pay for the food before grabbing Lucy's hand and leading her towards the exit. Before leaving, he grabbed a penny and tossed it towards Bora.

"Enjoy the tip, bastard!" he said with a wide grin before leading Lucy out of there.

Once they were on the streets of Magnolia, Natsu felt his anger start to die down. He was surprised that he managed to control himself to let that asshole get away with only a punch to the face. It was hard enough letting him talk to Lucy at all, his jealousy flaring within him. But then that idiot had to go and insult her. That was a grave mistake.

While Bora may've deserved it, Natsu knew that he had to get his jealousy under control. It was an irrational emotion, one that he shouldn't have had in the first place considering Lucy wasn't even his girlfriend. But keeping it under control was easier said than done.

It was hard to watch just about every guy ogle at the girl he liked. It didn't help that some of them had the balls to ask her out right in front of him, something that he'd been wanting to do but was too scared to.

Still, being jealous wasn't good. It was starting to get to the point that Natsu was even jealous of his close friends. There'd been too many times to count in which he'd irately watch Gray and Lucy talk. Even though Gray was in love with Juvia, it was still annoying watching him make Lucy laugh. That was his job.

With a sigh, Natsu forced himself to calm down. In doing so, he was finally able to hear the quiet sniffles coming from behind him.

Stopping in his tracks, he whirled around to face Lucy. Her bottom lip stuck out a bit as tears streamed down her face.

Immediately, Natsu's anger came back full force.

"I'm gonna kill that bastard!" he shouted, marching back towards the restaurant. It was bad enough he hit on Lucy and insulted her, but to make her cry? He was a goner.

Lucy tugged on his hand, stopping him. "It's okay, Natsu. I promise."

"Then why are you crying?"

"It's just frustrating. Guys like him think I'm just an object." Lucy smiled at him, continuing, "But luckily, there's guys like you to remind me that there's still some good ones out there."

It was then that Natsu realized he hadn't let go of Lucy's hand since they left the restaurant. With pink cheeks, he gazed down at their intertwined hands, holding hers tighter.

With moonlight washing over Lucy's face, their hands locked together, and her smiling at him warmly, it was the perfect time for Natsu to confess, to get the feelings he'd been hiding out in the open. It was the perfect time to make a move.

But he didn't.

Instead, Natsu stick to what he knew. Ruffling the blonde's hair, he gave her a grin.

"Let's go home, Luce. Today is the day I'm finally gonna beat you at UNO," he said.

Lucy's smile grew. "We'll see about that."

Instead of letting go of Lucy's hand, Natsu held onto it the entire way back to her apartment. It wasn't a grand, romantic gesture, but it was what he was comfortable with at the moment. Soon, he would have the courage to do something more, but for now, this was fine. All he needed was to be the one who made her smile.

* * *

 **AN:** Hope you guys liked the chapter! :D ALSO, you guys make me laugh so hard because a lot of you will review things like "I can't wait for Lucy to die" so that the angst can begin and it's HILARIOUS.

 **SecretWorld13:** Gajeel definitely did not lose all of his suspicions yet, but he's ignoring them for Levy's sake! :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed: **Master Gildarts, Cricketoreo, Mandapandaa, Petri808, Cher, shootingstarssel, KarinStalker24, Tina, KatanaNoNeko, Meow Orbit, vaneanime, Steller,**

 **Guest, Alexa60765, Weevilcat, PrincessEmag, XxStar'sDustxX, Lunar13, WolfessLizi, valerioux, Lady Of The Sphinx, SayakoSanni100, KaytyLady,**

 **Jazminee18, FreyaLin, Soul Eater Maka, Kitty9453, Mary Chou, stranger1999, ThaDesperado64, MillennialStargazer, CathJorda, Pink Butter Frog, Yashagirl89**

 **Nalulove, Duchixx, SecretWorld13, Lodemai04, Rein Serenity, Sakurajima no Yama, Stubenhocker, Ace27gd, Mannyegb, Animemama328, Stavroula99,**

 **itsxoi, FairyRains.**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:** Hello everyone! I'm pretty sure that this is the longest chapter I've written for this story! Get ready for some angst! For anyone who follows me on tumblr, get ready for that scene with the sneak peek I posted. ;D Hope you guys like it! :D

* * *

Chapter 15

Breaking Point

The rest of the weekend passed by in the blink of an eye. It was an emotionally taxing time filled with tears for Lucy, but luckily it was all behind her now. She wasn't going to worry about her feelings for Natsu or have to see that asshole, Bora, ever again. She was even going to push her reincarnation to the back of her mind, no longer going to dwell on it and its complications in her life.

She was going to live life the best she could from now on.

Lucy wrapped a scarf around herself. With it getting closer to winter, the temperature was dropping each day. Oh, how she missed her mini-skirts and crop tops.

Ready for school, the girl grabbed a granola bar on the way out, this time being alone. She'd forced Natsu to go back to his place last night, desperately needing a night to herself for a change. As much as she loved her friends, she needed some time alone as well. The boy had pouted and resisted at first, but eventually he had jumped out her window with a declaration of seeing her tomorrow.

Lucy made it to school quickly, her steps hastened by the frigid air. As always, Levy and Jellal were already there.

"Good morning!" Lucy greeted, taking her seat.

"Morning, Lu-chan!" Levy replied while Jellal nodded towards the blonde. "You ready for midterms coming up?"

"In this class and math, yes. In science, I'm not sure. I hope so. What about you?"

"I feel pretty confident!"

"As you should. You're the smartest student in this school!"

"Hey, it's not just me!" Levy pointed to Jellal. "Jellal is at the top of the school, too."

"Really?"

The boy nodded. "It is nothing."

Lucy chuckled. He was always modest.

With a small frown on her face, Levy changed the subject. "Still, even if I'm confident about the midterms, I hate that it's happening so soon. That means that we're halfway done with this quarter! We're going to have to change classes soon! I love this class, and having a class with you, Lu-chan!"

"Me too," the blonde replied, mirroring the other girl's expression. "But we'll still be friends, right? We were friends before we had a class together, and we'll be friends after!"

It was funny. Before, she worried about not being friends with Levy and the others if they were to be separated by the new quarter. Thanks to Natsu's reassurance, she wasn't scared in the slightest. Her bonds with her friends were growing stronger each day, enough for her to believe in their friendship surviving despite not seeing each other as often.

"You're right," Levy agreed.

Soon enough, Capricorn entered the classroom with his usual air of elegance. With that, class began.

* * *

Once class finished, Lucy wasn't surprised in the least to find Natsu waiting outside the room. Instead of his usual baggy sweats and his strange, one-sleeved coat, he adorned black jeans and a red shirt with a black dragon on it. Lucy rarely saw him wear normal clothes. It was a refreshing change.

"Yo, Luce! Let's go before Aquarius kills us for bein' late!" he said. His face split into a cheeky grin, one that had her heartrate picking up and her face filling with heat. She didn't understand how girls weren't constantly fawning over him; he was by far one of the most attractive boys she'd ever seen, even though his appearance may have been slightly outlandish.

"Okay!" she replied, jogging up to him. Turning to Levy and Jellal, she gave them a wave. "Bye, guys! I'll see you at Fairy Tail!"

The two walked briskly towards the other end of the school, trying to hurry their way through the throng of students. Luckily, they managed to make it to class in time and even have a couple minutes to spare. Heading to their usual seats, Lucy waved towards Gray. Sometimes, he would be with Natsu to walk with her to class, but for the most part, he waited for them in the classroom.

"Hey, Lucy," Gray greeted with a relaxed smile.

"Hi, Gray!" the blonde replied. She was going to stay by the boy's side to talk to him a little longer, but Natsu gently nudged her to keep moving to her seat.

Before the three could even begin a conversation, Aquarius sauntered into class. As usual, her brows were slanted in annoyance as she peered at her students. Lucy wondered why the lady even became a teacher when her hatred for students was very apparent.

"We're reviewing for the midterm today. I expect all of you to keep your mouths shut during today's lesson unless you want to fail your exam," the professor said, glaring at everyone.

And so, class began as always, with the students sitting silently and praying not to be called on. Lucy surveyed the room. There were quite a few empty seats. Almost half of her classmates decided to drop the class, no doubt because of Aquarius' harsh demeanor.

" _Getting on her good side is impossible. There's no way I'll win this bet with Natsu!"_

As if reading her thoughts, the pink-headed boy gave her a smug grin.

"Good luck," he whispered to her. "You're gonna need it."

"I am your source of food. Are you sure you want to bug me?"

Natsu covered his mouth with his palm and chuckled into it, quiet enough so not as to gain Aquarius' attention. Annoying Lucy in this class was risky considering it was hard not to laugh when he did, but seeing her face scrunch up was worth it.

Time ticked by slowly, but soon enough, class was over.

"Before you brats leave," Aquarius started, her voice sharp enough to pause everyone's movements, "I'll be having a tutoring session after class for those of you idiots that don't pay enough attention. Don't wanna fail? Then stay. Got it?"

Students glanced at each other, wondering if they should stay in the demon's lair longer than necessary.

"Oh, Lucy," Aquarius said, startling the said girl. "I need you to stay after class and help tutor. That okay?" Lucy opened her mouth to speak but was cut short. "No objections? Good. Alright, let's get started."

"…I guess I'm staying here?" Lucy said, turning towards Natsu and Gray.

"I'll stay here too then and wait for you," Natsu replied. "What about you, Gray?"

"Oh fuck that," the boy replied. "This class is bad enough, there's no way in hell I'm staying longer than I have to. Later!"

"Traitor!" Natsu and Lucy shouted at the boy's retreating form.

Lucy turned back to the rest of the class, surprised to find that about half of the class decided to stay. Aquarius ordered everyone to arrange their desks into a circle.

"Lucy, you sit by me," Aquarius said without even sparing the girl a glance. She did, however, glare at Natsu. "You. Leave."

"What? But I wanna stay for the tutoring!" Natsu replied.

"No you don't. You've aced every test, you don't need tutoring. You just want to bother everyone. Get the hell out already."

"No way! I'm stayin' with Lucy!"

Aquarius gave him a threatening glare and cracked her knuckles. "Huh? Did you say something, punk?"

Natsu gulped. "U-Uhh, no ma'am! Later, Lucy!" With that, he dashed out of the room before the professor could pummel him into nothing.

Lucy sighed. " _Wimp."_

The next hour went by smoothly with Lucy and Aquarius dividing and conquering the class. They went through a review sheet, going through each of the questions and solving them with the students that were struggling and showing them the right steps. Even though it wasn't something Lucy had signed up for, she didn't have too bad of a time. Plus, it probably helped put her in a better light with Aquarius.

" _Maybe I can win this bet after all!"_

When the tutoring session finally ended, Lucy and Aquarius stayed behind while the rest of the students left.

"Thanks for staying," Aquarius said.

Lucy arched a brow. That was the first time she'd ever heard the woman say anything nice. "Don't mention it! It was a good review for me too!"

Aquarius clicked her tongue. "Tsch. Kiss ass."

"Hey! I just helped you out! Maybe you could be nicer to me for a change!"

The professor gave a smug grin and crossed her arms, sitting on her desk. "Oho? Is the little brat upset? Well too bad. It's a hundred years too early for me to be actin' all nice to a snot-nosed punk like you."

Lucy sighed. Despite the woman's cold demeanor, the blonde could tell she was making progress. Being harsh was just how Aquarius held herself.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I better get going then."

"Wait," Aquarius said. "I guess I can at least treat you to some food tonight. Come on. Let's go." Without waiting for a reply, the woman walked out the door.

Lucy's eyes widened. Today was one hell of a day for her. Figuring there was no point in arguing with Aquarius, she rushed after the older woman.

The two walked in an awkward silence to a nearby bakery, Lucy walking a step behind the older woman. Aquarius ordered a cup of tea for herself along with a bagel while the blonde ordered some banana bread. Settling at a table in the corner of the store, they sat in another awkward silence until Aquarius finally broke the ice.

"So, tell me about yourself," she said, biting into her bagel.

Lucy arched a brow. "Umm, there's not much to tell. I like to read and write."

Aquarius smirked. "No wonder you can't get a boyfriend."

"Sh-Shut up!" Lucy replied, her face burning bright red.

The older woman laughed. "What about the pinkie you sit next to in class? The annoying one?"

"Natsu?"

"Yeah. It's obvious you two got a thing for each other. You going for it?"

"I-I don't have a thing for him!"

"Oh shut up. It's obvious you do, there's no point in lying."

Lucy's blush grew tenfold. "Okay, fine. You got me. And no, I'm not going for it."

"Why not?"

"I'm not ready for it."

"Why not?"

Lucy frowned, tearing off a piece of her bread and plopping it into her mouth. "There's a lot of reasons…"

Aquarius gave her a hard look. Lucy could swear that the other girl looked understanding.

Instead of teasing her, which was what Lucy thought she was going to do, Aquarius glanced out the window, her expression serious. "You'll never be ready for it."

"I-I know I may seem like a kid, but I'm sure I'll be ready for it some day!" Lucy argued.

"No, not that. I don't mean it like that." Aquarius turned to look at her, her voice serious as if she was speaking from experience. "The truth that nobody will tell you is that you'll never be ready for it. There is never going to be a perfect time. Not for us."

" _Us?"_ Lucy wondered. Instead of questioning the woman, she listened.

"You're always going to be scared," Aquarius continued. Her voice didn't hold the harsh edge to it that it usually did while in class. It seemed like she was actually trying to give her advice. "You're always going to be scared of the risks. Scared of what could happen in the future. That's why you'll never find the perfect time that other people do. You'll always doubt it and convince yourself that there'll be a perfect time later in the future."

Lucy frowned. "What am I supposed to do then? Give up?"

"The opposite, actually. You're supposed to charge in."

"Charge in?"

"Yeah. It's something you're scared of because of the consequences it could have. Instead of dwelling on that and living life like it's some kind of record, living each day like they're the same, take charge of the situation you're in. Make it new. Don't let your situation confine you. Charge into the unknown and see what it has in store for you."

Lucy's eyes widened, her mouth parting slightly. Her friends had told her to wait until she was ready. To wait for the right moment to come along. And here was Aquarius, telling her the complete opposite. While her friends' advice was reassuring, something about the way Aquarius was talking had her believing in her advice more.

Her friends didn't talk as if they understood. In fact, they didn't understand. They were all matched with the love of their lives. Sure, Juvia had to wait for Gray to be ready, but _she_ wasn't the one that wasn't ready.

And while Lucy was positive that Aquarius didn't understand completely, her serious expression made it seem like she was talking from experience, especially when she was talking about reliving each day like they're the same. Lucy had done that for lifetimes.

For a moment, Lucy had felt like someone had understood her in a way that nobody else had, not even Natsu. She couldn't explain it at all, but it was like there was something behind Aquarius' eyes that had her believing her.

Suddenly, a sigh brought Lucy out of her thoughts.

"Alright, I'm leaving. I've got a date," Aquarius said, her demeanor changing entirely from that of a demon to one of a gushing teenage girl who'd just talked to her crush for the first time. The woman glanced towards Lucy, a smug grin spreading over her lips. "I bet you don't have a date, huh?"

Lucy flushed, her brows slanting in annoyance. "So what!? I'm still young!"

"Psh, whatever you tell yourself to get you through the night. At this rate, you'll never get yourself a boyfriend!"

"Yeah, yeah! I don't need that coming from my teacher, thank you very much! Just go on your stupid date already!"

Aquarius chuckled, raising her hand in a wave before heading out. With that, Lucy paid for a cup of hot chocolate before leaving the bakery and onto the streets of Magnolia, which were nearly empty with it being late at night. Cold air washed over her, causing her body to shiver. If only she had a certain pink-headed boy by her side so that she can use him as her own little heater.

Though, just thinking of the boy seemed to do the trick of warming her body up. Her thoughts reeled back to Saturday night, when they had their encounter with Bora. Natsu had stepped in and literally punched someone in the face just to defend her honor- and while yes, she was perfectly capable of doing so herself and probably would have if she'd been given a couple more seconds, it was nice to see that somebody else cared enough about her to do that. It was even nicer that that someone just so happened to be the boy she liked.

Heat rushed to her cheeks, along with the pit of her stomach as she imagined Natsu punching Bora in the face. Just picturing it made the area between her thighs tingle, and though she was inexperienced, she wasn't oblivious to what that meant. For some reason that she couldn't explain, seeing Natsu punching Bora in the face for her turned her on.

Lucy squealed, covering her face with her hands, glad that nobody was around to see her in such a state. She couldn't help but replay the moment over and over again in her head. Just imagining the protruding veins on his arms, his toned muscles, and the fire that was lit in his onyx orbs was enough to turn the faint tingling sensation into a dull ache that needed to be put out. Unfortunately, the way that she wanted it to be put out- the way that embarrassed her just thinking about- was completely out of the question.

This wasn't the first time the girl had thought about sex. She was twenty-one, of course it had popped into her head on multiple occasions. Before, she would shove those thoughts to the back of her mind as quickly as they came, not wanting to picture herself with the strangers that she was thinking about. But with Natsu, she found herself welcoming the thoughts, as embarrassed as they had made her. Her newfound interest, thanks to the boy, was the reason she started writing her smutty story. Since she couldn't have it in real life, she wrote down what she wanted in words.

" _I wonder what Natsu's doing right now,"_ Lucy thought. Her mind was always wrapped around him. " _I was gone much longer than I thought I'd be, so he's probably not in my apartment anymore if he was before. He's probably at his place."_

Her head told her to just go home, that she could just see Natsu tomorrow. But her heart, which had unfortunately taken the reins of her body from her brain, had her taking the next turn towards Natsu's apartment. She thought of Aquarius' advice.

 _Charge in._

" _I'll just drop by to let him know that I'm done tutoring now!"_ she thought, conveniently dismissing the fact that she could do so over the phone.

Part of her felt rude for dropping by unannounced. As Lucky Lucy Heartfilia, she had been raised not to do such a thing. But considering Natsu literally climbed through her window most days of the week, she figured she could show up at his place for once.

The walk didn't take too long and she made it there in about ten minutes. She'd only been over to his apartment once- every time she suggested going to his place after the night she got hammered playing beer pong, he'd always steered her clear from it with some sort of excuse. Still, she had memorized which complex was his.

With an excited skip in her step, Lucy approached the front door. Knocking twice, she waited for him to come answer the door. Getting no reply, she knocked again. Still nothing.

Lucy arched a brow. Glancing towards the window, she frowned. Natsu always invaded her home by barging through her window, should she do the same to him? Every rational fiber in her being told her not to, but the childish side of her, the one that wanted revenge, had her looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching her before she approached the window. She reached out and pulled on the window to see if it would even open in the first place or if he had ironically kept it locked. Fortunately for her, it was unlocked.

Checking again to make sure that nobody was around- she _really_ didn't want someone to call the cops on her, thinking that she was breaking into someone's apartment- the girl mustered up the courage to finally squeeze herself through the window. His window was small and her curvy figure wasn't making it any easier for her, but she managed to push herself through.

Now inside, Lucy closed the window behind her. Turning back around, her jaw dropped on its hinges of the sight ahead of her.

The place was spotless.

And not just in an uncharacteristically clean sense, but it was completely spotless and empty. There wasn't any furniture, even the table that they had used for beer pong gone. Confused, Lucy headed for the kitchen. Even all of the cupboards were empty. She investigated every other room, finding the same.

There was no sign of someone living there, no traces of Natsu at all.

" _What's going on?"_ Lucy wondered, her hand clenching her scarf. Her mind reeled back to the time she had caught Gray lying to her.

" _Oh my god would you two just date already?" Gray said, cutting into their conversation with a look of disgust. "You two sound like you're married!"_

 _Lucy's face was set ablaze. "W-What!? No we don't! Shut up, Gray!"_

" _You so do! I mean, the guy spends the night at your place more than he does at ours!"_

 _Lucy opened her mouth to retort when she caught something. "Ours? What do you mean? Natsu has his own apartment."_

 _The whole group stiffened, every pair of eyes glued on her._

" _Oh, uhh, I meant Fairy Tail. You know, to hang out," Gray had said. "I meant to say that he hangs out at your apartment more than he does here."_

She had known back then that that was a fat lie. They were too intent on her reply and Gray was talking about spending the night, not hanging out. Mixing them up was too unbelievable. Still, she had shoved it to the back of her mind. They were her only friends and she was finally making progress with them, she didn't want to lose that.

But this was too much.

Not only did they all lie to her face about that, but they also refused to let her come over to their apartments. Plus, there was that time when the girls all got home at the same time. And now, the apartment that Natsu had supposedly lived in was completely empty. Surely he would have told her if he moved; she was supposedly his best friend, after all. But he didn't.

Which meant that something else was going on too.

There was something fishy happening, and Lucy could no longer push her doubts aside. It was time to confront Natsu in person and finally get the truth.

* * *

Reaching her apartment, Lucy fumbled for her keys. Standing outside, she took a deep breath, trepidation filling her veins. The thought of confronting Natsu made her anxious. She didn't want their friendship to be ruined over it, not after he had become someone so precious to her.

But she needed to know.

With her reincarnation, there was no telling what someone would do to her if they found out her secret. She was sure that she would be locked up in some institution or used as some sort of lab rat if someone found out. And with the secret that all of her friends were hiding, the doubts in her starting to pile up to the point where she could never look at them the same way void of suspicions. She needed to know.

But what if she was right? What if they were actually onto her and were there to take her away? The thought of being betrayed like that by the people she called her friends was enough to make her sick to her stomach.

Mustering up the courage she had, Lucy unlocked the door and went inside. Her brows were furrowed, and her eyes were lit with determination to find out the truth. Though, her resolve did falter a bit once she saw Natsu sitting on the couch, flashing her one of his heart-stopping grins.

"Yo, Luce!" he greeted with a wave. "Took you long enough!" With a smug grin, he waved her journal in the air. "Took me a while, but I finally found your new hiding spot. Geez, Lucy. You must've sucked at hide and go seek when you were a kid because you suck at hiding this thing. I mean, really, under your mattress? That's like the go-to spot to hide things! Everyone knows that!"

Lucy stayed silent, staring Natsu down. She hated that she couldn't look at him the same way anymore. It was too late. Her suspicions had taken over her.

Natsu sensed something was wrong immediately. On any other occasion, Lucy would've been jumping over the couch to try and take back her journal and beat him senseless while she was at it. But this time she stayed quiet, looking at him funny. And not a good kind of funny, either. It was like she was glaring at him.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" Natsu questioned, getting off the couch and walking up to her. A frown graced his face. "Did something happen at tutoring? Did Aquarius say something?"

Instead of answering his question, Lucy asked one of her own. "Who are you?"

Natsu's brows shot up and he cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"It was a simple question, Natsu. Who are you?"

Now it was Natsu's turn to glare at her. "It's not a simple question. I don't get it. You know who I am, so why're you asking?"

"Because I really don't know you at all," Lucy said, anger etched into her features. "All this time, I've been hanging out with you despite knowing hardly anything about you. I know what you've told me, but who knows what's the truth at this point?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that you've been lying to me from the start! You and everyone else!"

"Lucy, I have no idea what you're talking about! Just tell me already so we can talk about it!"

Lucy swallowed thickly, refusing to break eye-contact with Natsu. Accusing him was painful for her, but she had to get to the bottom of it.

"Where do you live?"

Natsu's eyes widened, his mouth going dry. His heart had stopped in his chest, but not in the good way, like whenever Lucy flashed him a smile. No, this was different. It stopped as fear took hold of his heart and squeezed it painfully.

Had Lucy found out their secret? Had he really slipped up enough to reveal everything?

"W-What do you mean?" he choked out. "You've been to my place!"

"So you still live there? You haven't moved or anything?"

"Of course not, weirdo! I would've told you if I did!"

Lucy's throat tightened in pain, tears creeping in her eyes. There it was. Another lie, right to her face.

"Then let's go there," Lucy said, not backing down. "Right now."

"R-Right now?"

"Yep."

"Umm, okay. Let me just call Erza first and invite them, too! It'll be more fun that way!" Natsu reached into his pocket for his phone. It was going to be hard to discreetly tell Erza to get that apartment ready, but he had to do it. Lucy wasn't taking no for an answer.

Lucy grabbed his wrist, stopping his movements. "No. Just us."

"Why just us?" Natsu asked, dread filling him to the core.

Lucy ignored him, a frown spreading over her face while her eyes turned to the floor. The tears that she'd been holding in slid down her cheeks.

Natsu's heart shattered at the sight in front of him. Watching Lucy clutch her chest while crying was something he never wanted to see in his life. The fact that he was the cause of it only made it worse.

"You've all been lying to me, haven't you?" Lucy asked, her voice just barely above a whisper. Before Natsu could deny it, she glared at him, her eyes lit with ferocity. "Don't lie to me, Natsu. I need the truth. You don't really live there, do you?"

Natsu looked away, his hands balled into tight fists. He didn't know what to do. It was obvious that lying wasn't going to work, but telling the truth wasn't an option either. Why did he have to be the one put in this situation? Why couldn't it have been Erza or Jellal? Surely they would've known how to handle this.

"Lucy…" he started, gnawing on his lower lip, unsure how to continue.

The girl gently turned his face to look at hers. Her nose and her eyes had been red from crying. "Please, Natsu. No more lies. Do you live there?"

Not wanting to lie to Lucy any longer, the boy shook his head slowly, as words weren't coming to him.

"Have you ever lived there?"

He shook his head again.

"Why did you lie to me about that? Why is it so bad of me to know where you live?"

Natsu's face scrunched in pain, unsure of how to answer. He couldn't let her find out that he was immortal. He would be forced to go back to the basement with the rest of the immortals, unable to see her again. But at this rate, if he kept lying, it seemed like she wasn't going to want to hang out with him anyways. Either way, he was going to lose Lucy.

And if he was going to lose Lucy regardless, then he should do so in a way that didn't endanger the rest of his friends. So, he stayed quiet.

Lucy glared at him, her heart clenched in pain. "You aren't going to tell me?"

Natsu bit his lower lip, tears pricking his eyes. It was embarrassing, but he couldn't help it. Losing Lucy was something he couldn't even bear to think about. She gave his life meaning. Purpose. Excitement. What was he going to do without her? How he had gone on for so long without her in his life before, he would never know.

Lucy swallowed thickly, her throat constricting tightly. Nodding, she said, "Alright. I can't force you to tell me. But I have to look out for myself, and with all the lies that all of you have been saying, I don't think I can trust any of you."

Natsu's nails dug into his palms at that, his heart shattering in that moment. He understood where she was coming from, he really did. But hearing those words broke him. The tears that he had been fighting trickled down his face.

"I… I don't think I can keep being friends with you guys," Lucy said, her lip trembling. This was the first time she'd seen Natsu cry. Even when he was explaining his father's death, he hadn't cried at all. But here he was, shedding tears over losing her. It tore her heart to pieces seeing him cry.

Still, she had to look out for herself.

"Please leave," she said, her gaze glued to the floor as she pointed towards the door. "A-And starting tomorrow, please don't associate with me. It'll only make things harder…"

Natsu gave out a pained sound. "Lucy, please look at me."

"I can't, Natsu…"

"Please!" Reluctantly, she met his gaze. He grabbed her hands and held them tight against his chest. Staring into her eyes and pouring every feeling he had into his gaze, he hoped he could get his feelings across. "I can't tell you about it because it isn't just my secret to share. I… I don't want to lose you, but I can't tell you this either."

"I'm not comfortable with that, Natsu. It's too much. You lied about where you lived! You set up a fake apartment just to convince me! It doesn't make sense!" Lucy cried, trying to tear her hands away but Natsu didn't let go.

"I know," he replied. "I know it's a lot. But what about that night outside your apartment? When you were crying and I was trying to cheer you up, you told me that you couldn't talk about it. Well, the same goes for me! I can't talk about this, Lucy. I wish more than anything that I could, believe me. But I can't. It wouldn't just affect me."

Lucy's resolve faltered. Alright, she did have a secret that she refused to tell him, he got her there. But her secret was different! Hers was a matter of life or death! His…

Well, who's to say that his wasn't too?

Was she just being hypocritical? Sure, she doubted that his secret could mount up to her reincarnation, but it could still be one of life or death. It could still be something so important, that speaking of it at all was out of the question.

"Please don't drop me, Lucy," Natsu said, his voice cracking from crying. "I don't want to live without you. I _can't."_

Lucy pried her hands away from him and used them to cover her eyes as she sobbed. "I don't want to live without you, either! I'm just trying to look out for myself!"

"I know. But please, you have to trust me on this. I would tell you if I could, I swear."

Lucy glanced at him. "…Is it anything that would endanger me?"

"No! No way!"

"Is it anything illegal? Are you guys in some sort of gang, or something?"

Natsu thought about all of the immortals living in Fairy Tail. In a sense, they were something like a gang. But not the kind that Lucy was referring to.

"No," he answered.

"It's not anything bad?"

Natsu thought about that. Every immortal hated their immortality, so in a way it was bad. But not for Lucy.

"No," he finally answered. "Nothing bad. I swear."

Lucy studied him, looking for any signs of deceit. Natsu seemed sincere, but was that good enough? She still had her doubts and suspicions, dropping him entirely would get rid of them. But the thought of doing that had tears clouding her vision once again.

"Nothing bad?" she asked again, just to be sure.

Natsu peered into her eyes, letting her stare into his soul. "Nothing bad. I swear to you, Lucy. If it was even remotely dangerous for you, I would never have let you get caught up in this. If it were just my secret, I probably woulda ended up telling you a long time ago."

"Why?"

Natsu swallowed thickly, his cheeks turning pink. "Because you're easy to talk to. You're my best friend, and lying to you has been hell for me."

"Really?"

"Duh." Natsu nudged her, mustering up the courage to say what he was thinking. His eyes were soft, along with his voice as he continued, "If you hadn't noticed yet, you're sorta kinda my everything."

Lucy's heart leapt in her chest, fire coursing through her veins. She could feel heat rushing to her face, surely turning it pink. She blinked once, then twice just to make sure that she wasn't imagining the look he was giving her. Sure enough, his onyx orbs were searching hers, imploring and soft.

That wasn't something friends say to each other, right? Were the girls right about Natsu actually liking her back? She was starting to think so, but she wanted to know for sure.

"Y-You mean in a friend way?" she asked, her voice a higher pitch than normal thanks to her nerves.

Natsu chuckled, seeing the embarrassment written all over her face. He had a feeling that she liked him back ever since the night he swore he saw her leaning in for a kiss. Now, it was pretty obvious. How hadn't he noticed it before?

Flashing her a grin and ruffling her hair, he finally replied, "Who knows?"

Lucy jutted her lower lip out in a pout, crossing her arms over her chest. Even now of all times he chose to tease her? "You're such a jerk!"

Natsu laughed, the tense atmosphere from before turning lighter. "Maybe." Now that they had calmed down- well, their hearts were still racing, but in a different way now- he brought up what they were talking about before. "So… Are we okay?"

Lucy's lips curled into a slight frown. She was still a little suspicious, but she didn't want to cut Natsu out of her life. Especially when he was showing signs of reciprocating her feelings.

"Yeah, we're okay," she answered, smiling at him. She hoped she wouldn't come to regret this decision. "Just try not to lie to me from now on, okay? If it's something you can't answer, just tell me instead of lying about it."

Natsu nodded. "Okay." Feeling the heavy weight lifted off his shoulders, he grabbed Lucy's wrist and pulled her in for a tight hug. He wasn't usually the affectionate type, but he figured they both could use a hug that day, and hugging her was all he wanted to do at that moment.

Lucy didn't bother fighting the blush that came to her face. Instead, she accepted her feelings and wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck, enjoying the embrace. Natsu's body was hard against hers, but she still felt at home in his arms. The familiar scent of a campfire, the warmth that radiated off of him, and the scaly scarf that she tugged on had her feeling at peace.

That peace was shortly interrupted once Natsu pulled away from their embrace. His brows were drooped as he stared at her intently.

"What's wrong?" she asked. She would've been embarrassed about their close proximity, but the serious look on Natsu's face had her distracted.

"You can't let the others know about this, okay?" he said, holding her by the shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

"Remember how I said it isn't just my secret to share? Well, they don't want anyone knowing about it at all. If they found out that you know something is up, they won't let us hang out anymore."

Lucy frowned, her suspicions coming back. "They would do that even though I'm friends with them, too?"

Natsu nodded. "Even though it isn't dangerous or anything like that, it's an important secret. If they find out you know, you probably won't see any of us again."

"Now I'm really curious about this. And also a little scared."

"Don't be scared," Natsu assured, placing his forehead against hers.

"I can't even ask Levy-chan?"

"Not even her. She's probably like me. Probably wants to tell you but knows she can't. You shouldn't let any of them know that you know something, but you should be extra careful around Erza and Gajeel. Jellal, too."

"Even Jellal?"

"He's nicer about it, but I know that he's just as wary as Erza and Gajeel. I know it's a lot to ask for, but can you keep pretending you don't know anything around them?"

Lucy nodded. "Alright. As long as _you_ don't lie to me anymore."

"Oh, so they can lie to you but I can't?" Natsu joked.

"Nope!"

"Why's that?"

Lucy smiled at him, repeating his words from earlier. "Because if you hadn't noticed yet, you're sorta kinda my everything."

Natsu's cheeks turned pink in seconds. Ducking behind his scarf, he glared at her. She was teasing him!

Lucy laughed, amused with his reaction. That must've been how she looked when he had told her that.

"Alright, I promise I won't bring it up with them," she said with a smile.

"And I promise I won't lie to you anymore," Natsu replied. "So we're good?"

"Yeah, Natsu. We're good."

Lucy felt content with how things were. Sure, she didn't uncover the truth beneath their lies, but did she really have to? As long as it wasn't something that would get her into trouble, she had no reason to keep pestering him about it. Especially when she had secrets of her own that she refused to share.

So, Lucy chose to push her doubts aside once more, but it was different this time. Natsu wasn't going to lie to her anymore and she felt safe around him still. She didn't need to know everything. She was fine with how things were.

Little did she know at the time that fate had other plans in store.

* * *

 **AN:** Hope you guys liked the chapter! Secrets will be revealed eventually, I promise! Who do you think will find out about who first? ;D Anyways, I should have more time to write since I just quit my job! Have to look for a new one but in the meantime, more writing for me! :D ALSO PLS TELL ME YOUR THEORIES AND STUFF FOR THIS STORY I LOVE READING THEM. So far one of you has been close! I really like reading them so do it! :D

Thank you to everyone who reviewed:

 **rigaryuna, Weevilcat, KarinStalker24, Rein Serenity, Lodemai04, Anna5949, FairyRains, shootingstarssel, Ace27gd, Guest, SayakoSanni100, Guest, Tina, KatanaNoNeko, asacha, Lunar13, UpHisSleevies, Alexa60765, XxStar'sDustxX, valerioux, stranger1999, MasterGildarts, Lotus, ThaDesperado64, Mandapandaa, Guest, Kitty9453, Cher, KawaiiKitsune13, Mannyegb, Animemama328, Soul Eater Maka, SilverPowder, AnzuxX, Duchixx, CathJorda, Kylnee, sxkurajima, Itz-Arii, Nalulove, Mikella Rubenkoenig, Stubenhocker, Sblackw, SleepinBeautyK, MaryyDragneel, AnimeAddict16, XxlaniidaexX, AshleighLeeann17, triiv, Juvia is my spirit animal, seehunnybees, Guest, Petri808.**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** I loved loved LOVED reading everyone's theories for this story. I read each and every single one and most of you guys are on the right track but a couple of you are _really_ on the right track that it surprised me!

Anyways, sorry in advance that the chapter is a little shorter than normal, but I really wanted to update this story as soon as possible! Well, I hope you guys like the chapter! :D

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Chapter 16

Play Date

The next two days went by in the blink of an eye, now only a week from Halloween. Lucy frowned as she rummaged through her closet, looking for anything she can turn into a costume. She hadn't dressed up for Halloween in ages.

"I can't do anything with this," the girl said, planting her hands on her hips. She didn't know why she bothered checking her closet. It wasn't like she knew how to sew, so making her costume wasn't even an option in the first place. She would just have to buy something. And considering that Halloween was in a week, she figured all of the good costumes were probably sold out.

"What am I going to do?" Lucy whined. Even though she didn't care about winning the contest that Erza was hosting, she still wanted to have a nice costume and take pictures with everyone else.

"What're you complainin' about now, Luce?" a sudden voice rang from behind.

Lucy squealed, jumping away from the boy. Having yet to turn to face him, her face was set ablaze, her heart crashing around in her chest. Ever since they sort of confessed to each other on Monday, they hadn't talked about it at all. They acted the same way around each other, joking and bickering as more than friends but less than lovers. At times, Lucy's feelings would be too overwhelming, and her face would explode with heat and she'd have to excuse herself. But for the most part, things were normal between them.

Mustering her courage, Lucy finally turned to face the boy, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. She was too nervous.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop breaking in here!" she shouted, throwing a punch at him.

Natsu caught her wrist with ease before her fist could make contact with him. He smiled down at her, mischief dancing in his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you to lock your window?"

Lucy was about to retort when she noticed their close proximity. Jumping away, she crossed her arms. "W-Whatever."

"So what're you worrying about this time?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. There's only a week until Halloween and I still don't have a costume yet!"

"Who cares? I don't either. I'm not gonna dress up."

Lucy gasped, her face growing pale and her eyes widening. "You're going to defy Erza's orders? You're dumber than I thought!"

"Shut up!" Natsu replied, glaring at her. "Why do you care so much about Halloween anyways?"

"I don't, but it'll be fun dressing up together, don't you think?"

"Not really."

"Oh, hush! It'll be fun! Which is why you better dress up too!"

"But Luuucy!"

"No buts! You're going to dress up! Now help me decide what I should be for Halloween!"

"The devil. You're already pretty close to it."

A vein ticked in the girl's forehead as she bashed Natsu upside the head. "Maybe I should dress up as an idiot. Hey, can I borrow your coat for my costume?"

"Oho? That actually sounds like a fun idea!" Natsu exclaimed. "Let's go dressed up as each other!"

"What? That's weird!"

"It's hilarious!"

Lucy cupped her chin in thought. She had wanted to dress up provocatively for Halloween and show off her assets a bit, but this idea could be fun. And the thought of seeing Natsu in her clothes was too good to pass up. It wasn't like she had anything better planned.

"Okay, fine!" Lucy said. Going through her closets, she got one of her regular outfits, a blue miniskirt and a white vest with a blue cross in the center. "This is what you're going to wear then!"

"Alright. And you'll wear what I'm wearing now!" he replied, gesturing to his outfit, the one that he wore nearly every day and she found herself washing for him almost every night. With that, everything was settled, and they were ready for Halloween.

"So what are your plans for today?" Lucy asked.

The boy arched a brow. "Whatever you wanna do. I figured we could watch a movie or something."

"I can't. I'm actually going to hang out with Levy-chan today."

"Whaaat? What am I supposed to do?"

"Hang out with everyone else at Fairy Tail?"

Natsu huffed, crossing his arms with a pout. "They're not as interesting as you, though."

Lucy would've became a blushing mess from that had she not been running a little late. "Interesting or not, I gotta go. I'm already late enough as it is."

"Can I at least walk you? Where are you guys supposed to meet up?"

"I guess you can. And we're meeting up at the smoothie shop for old time's sake!"

With that, the two were out the door and on the bustling streets of Magnolia. It was a pretty busy day, despite being Thursday. Everyone was out of the house, probably enjoying the sun, which had rarely made an appearance that autumn.

Natsu eyed Lucy's hand dangling at her side. Ever since they confessed, things were surprisingly normal. He figured that things would start to change between them, but instead, nothing happened. Was he supposed to start these sort of things? He was the one to confess first, wasn't it her turn to make a move? Or was it always the guy's responsibility?

Natsu didn't have a clue. Everything was so new to him, he was just winging it at this point. Slowly moving his hand towards hers, his fingers brushed against her hand before he got too nervous. Withdrawing, he acted as if nothing happened, ignoring the piercing gaze he could feel on the side of his face.

With pink cheeks and widened eyes, Lucy stared at Natsu. She had felt his hand brush against hers- she knew for a fact it was his hand and not just her imagination playing tricks on her because of how warm it was. Was it an accident? Or was he actually trying to hold her hand?

She hoped it was the latter.

The girl eyed his hand. It was larger than her own. Tanner, too. Swallowing thickly, she quickly reached out and grabbed his hand, her face blazing red. She could practically feel steam bellowing out of her ears in embarrassment as she prayed her hand didn't start to sweat. Feeling Natsu tense, she glanced at his face to find him blushing as well. He was also nervous.

But he didn't pull away.

A small smile crept over the girl's face, her heart beating so fast, it felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. Now feeling more confident, she laced her fingers with his.

They walked in a content silence, both distracted by the fact that they were holding hands. That is, until Natsu spoke.

"Your hand is sweaty," he teased, smirking at her.

Lucy's blush deepened as she swatted at him. "N-No it isn't! That's your hand!"

"Psh, no way. That's all you."

"How would you know!?"

"You're the weird one, so it makes sense."

Lucy pouted in annoyance and muttered, "It's not my fault I'm nervous."

This piqued Natsu's interest. "You're nervous?"

"Yeah. Aren't you?"

"No way."

Lucy studied the boy's face, noticing the pink dusting his cheeks and the way he avoided eye contact. An amused grin spread over her face. "Liar."

"Shut up," he grumbled, nudging her. "It's not my fault. Never done this sorta thing before."

"I thought you said you've held hands with a girl before?"

"Well yeah, but this is my first time holdin' hands with some I actually… Ehh, forget it."

Lucy stared at the pavement, no longer able to look in Natsu's direction. Her face was red enough as it was, looking at him would only make it worse. He didn't need to finish his sentence. She already knew what he was going to say.

Reaching the smoothie shop, Lucy couldn't help but feel a tad bit disappointed. This was the first time they addressed their feelings since that one night- as roundabout a way as it was, it still counted. Still, she knew that Levy was waiting inside for her, and she couldn't just ditch her to hang out with Natsu. She promised herself she would never be that sort of girl that just abandons her friends for a boy.

Lucy stared at their joined hands for a moment before meeting Natsu's gaze. She could still see some lingering pink on his cheeks but chose not to point it out. She knew that this was a lot for him too.

"I have to go now," Lucy said. Smiling, she continued, "Thanks for walking me here."

"Don't mention it," he replied, his lips curling into a face-splitting grin. "Have fun with Levy."

"You try to have fun with Gray and the others too. Bye, Natsu."

"Later, Lucy."

They stood still for another moment, neither wanting to be the one to pull away first. Lucy was glad that Natsu eventually drew back his hand, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to do so. Yet at the same time, she found herself immediately missing the warmth of his palm against hers.

They waved to each other before Lucy entered the smoothie shop, taking a deep breath to calm herself down before approaching Levy. Once she felt like her heart wasn't going to burst out of her chest, she surveyed the shop, looking for a head of blue.

What she found instead caused her eyes to bug out of their sockets and her jaw to drop to the floor.

Sitting at their signature table was none other than Gajeel, his black hair as unruly as ever. A scowl was plastered to his face, his burly arms crossed over his chest.

"H-Hey, Gajeel," Lucy awkwardly greeted, standing by the table. She didn't want to sit down in front of him, knowing that it'd tick him off. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," the boy replied, his crimson eyes piercing her own. "Levy texted me, telling me to meet her here."

"What? She texted me the same thing. Does that mean she wants to hang out with both of us?"

Gajeel sighed, shaking his head. "It means the shrimp trapped us here. She ain't coming."

"Oh," Lucy replied, not knowing what else to say. So, Levy had sent them to the smoothie shop to hang out, probably in an attempt to better their relationship. It made sense. Her friend was more dubious than she thought, setting them up in a play date. "Well, uhh, I can just go if you want. We can just tell Levy-chan that we both came and hung out for a bit."

"What's the point in that? We're already here, might as well just go with it."

Lucy's brows rose as she studied the boy sitting in front of her. With the scowl on his face, his crossed arms, and the way he refused to look at her, it was clear that he wasn't really comfortable with the idea and was only doing it for Levy. Still, he'd come a long way since she'd first met him. She had no doubt in her mind that the Gajeel before would've just cursed at her before storming out of the shop.

Her relationship with Gajeel had improved a lot since she first met him. They weren't really on a talking basis, but he no longer sulked like a pouting child the entire time she was in his presence. In fact, he acted like himself around the others. He even gave her a nickname, Bunny Girl. That had to be good, right?

"Alright, let me go order a drink so that we aren't loitering," Lucy said. "Do you want anything?"

"Nah."

Lucy went up to the counter by herself, ordering her normal strawberry-banana smoothie. Glancing back at Gajeel, she decided she'd get him a drink anyways. She would've felt bad sipping away at her drink while he had nothing. Not knowing what he'd like, she ordered the same drink Levy usually ordered, a green apple smoothie.

The boy at the counter blushed while charging her for the items. He even tried to start up a conversation between the two of them, to which Lucy only indulged him in to be polite. But once he asked her for her number, she shut him down quickly, thanking him for the drinks before heading back to Gajeel.

Gajeel arched a brow, noticing the encounter.

"What'd that guy want?" he asked, noticing the second smoothie she bought and slid towards him. He muttered a word of thanks, so quietly he hoped she hadn't heard it.

To his dismay, Lucy did hear him. A smile spread over her face as she felt progress was being made between them. "Nothing, really. He was asking for my number and I told him I'm not interested."

Gajeel gave her a teasing smirk, one that she'd never seen him use on her. "Oh yeah? Because you're into Salamander, huh?"

Lucy became a sputtering mess as she choked on her drink. Her cheeks turned pink for the umpteenth time that day. "W-What are you talking about!? I don't- I'm not- You've got it wrong!"

"Yeah, yeah. Save it. Everyone knows you two like each other. It's disgusting."

"Gee, thanks."

"And I saw you two holdin' hands outside when you got here."

"Y-You saw that!? That wasn't us holding hands! We were, umm, we were just-!"

Gajeel covered his ears with his hands, glaring at her. "Do you hafta be so damn loud? Like I said, ain't no use denying it. So? You guys together now or what?"

Lucy glanced away in embarrassment, crossing her arms over her chest. "Like I'd tell you. I haven't even told Levy-chan yet."

"Just spit it out already. It'll make the time go by quicker."

"No, we aren't together. At least, I don't think we are."

"You don't think you are? How do you not know?"

Lucy fidgeted in her seat. "Well, we sorta confessed to each other. But since then, we haven't really brought it up. And he never asked me to be his girlfriend, so I assumed that means we aren't together."

"You guys confessed? Did you do it first? Natsu's too much of a wimp to confess."

Lucy arched a brow. "You know, you're more into this gossip stuff than I thought you'd be."

Gajeel glared at her. "Shut up, woman!"

The girl laughed, feeling much more comfortable around the boy than before. "For your information, Natsu confessed first."

"I feel like I'm gonna barf just thinking 'bout Salamander confessing to anyone."

"Well, it was sweet to me. But now I don't know how I'm supposed to act around him. Us holding hands just now was the first time we actually acted on our feelings. Other than that, we've been acting the same as normal. Did you and Levy-chan have this problem when you first got together?"

"Not really," Gajeel answered, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "We kinda acted on our feelings first before makin' it official too, but we never had problems actin' on it. It just happened."

"Were you always the one to make the move?"

"Nah. Levy did too sometimes. And knowing Natsu, you're gonna have to make the first move a lot. He doesn't know what he's doing."

"I don't either!"

"Then I guess you guys are screwed," Gajeel said with his typical _gihi_ laugh.

Lucy laid her head against the table. "I wish this wasn't so complicated."

"Just gotta get past the confusing part, then it'll be normal."

"You know, you're also more helpful than I thought you'd be."

"Shut up."

"So, how are you and Levy-chan?" Lucy asked, sipping on her drink. She was eager to steer the conversation from her relationship with Natsu.

Gajeel gave a simple reply. "Good."

"That's it? Good? I just poured out my heart and soul, and that's all you're going to give me?"

"I don't know! What do you want me to say!?"

"I don't know either! But no one-worded replies!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "We're just good. Nothin' new."

"Well? When are you going to propose?"

This time, Gajeel was the one choking on his drink and becoming a sputtering mess.

"W-What the hell are you talkin' about!?" he shouted, not caring about the way people looked at him.

Lucy laughed at his rosy cheeks. That was a side of him she'd never seen before. She was only joking, but grew curious about the matter from his reaction. "Well, you guys have been together for a long time, from what I hear. And I know you guys love each other. Have you ever thought about taking it to the next level? Maybe after graduation?"

Gajeel crossed his arms and averted his gaze. "Yeah, I thought about it, alright?"

"Well? Thoughts?"

"I'm waitin' for the right time."

"Which is when?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"Wait, if you're waiting for the right time, does that mean you already have a ring ready?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide. Gajeel's blush deepened, giving her the answer she needed. "Oh my gosh! You bought a ring!? This is real! My best friend is getting married!"

"Shut up!" Gajeel replied, slapping a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. "And no I didn't buy no damn ring! I made one myself."

"You made one?"

"Yeah. I'm into making stuff. I mainly work with metal, so I decided to make one."

"Do you have it with you? Can I see it?"

Gajeel reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, wooden box. Opening it, he revealed a metallic ring, its sides carved in a twirling pattern. The inside of the ring had the words 'By your side, forever' engraved onto it. There wasn't a big jewel, or any jewel for that matter, but Lucy knew that Levy was going to love the ring. It was handcrafted by the man she loved. That was all her friend would need.

"It's beautiful, Gajeel," Lucy breathed out, running her finger over the smooth material. When he said he made the ring, she was expecting the edges to be a little rough, but they weren't. It was clear he put a lot of time and energy into making it perfect for his girlfriend. A warm smile spread over her lips as she imagined him proposing to Levy. "I'm already so happy for you guys."

"Yeah, so you better not go and ruin the surprise," Gajeel said, shoving the ring back in his pocket. Giving her a look that could freeze all of hell, he continued, "If you tell a soul about this, I will hunt you down. You better not even tell Natsu."

"I won't, I won't!" Lucy assured, putting her hands up in surrender. It'd been a while since he looked at her so harshly.

"Good," he replied, his features going back to normal. "Anyways, I'm outta here. Talkin' about you and Salamander's relationship made me feel sick. Now I hafta go throw it up outta me."

Lucy sighed. "Yeah, yeah." Figuring he was going to go hang out with Levy, she continued, "Tell Levy-chan I said hi. And that I want a real hangout between the two of us soon!"

Gajeel nodded, giving a small wave before leaving. Smiling, Lucy sipped away at her drink. Now, she could easily consider Gajeel a friend of hers.

* * *

Arriving at her apartment, Lucy was surprised to find Natsu sitting on her bed, reading her journal. Marching towards the boy, she snatched it out of his hands before bashing him upside the head.

"What are you doing here, Natsu? I thought you were going to hang out with the others?" she asked, shoving her journal away.

"I was," the boy said with a shrug. "But then when I got to Fairy Tail, I saw Levy sittin' with everyone else. I asked her why she wasn't with you, then she told me her plan of getting you and that metal mouth, Gajeel, closer. So, how was hanging out with that bastard?"

"It was actually pretty fun," Lucy answered with a smile. "I think we're slowly becoming close friends!"

"You actually wanna be friends with that guy?"

"Don't act as if he isn't one of your best friends. I don't get what's with you boys and your fake hatred for each other when in reality, you guys love each other. You guys should be like us girls. We love and appreciate each other and we don't bother hiding it."

Natsu rolled his eyes. "I'd rather get stuck on a train."

"Pathetic. Well, I'll let you pick out a movie for us to watch while I start making dinner. I'm starving."

"Yosh!"

About fifteen minutes later, they were ready to start watching. Natsu had picked out a comedy movie while she made them some spaghetti. Turning off the lights, she sat beside him on the couch while the movie started to play.

Within the first five minutes of the movie, tears were already streaming down their faces with how much they were laughing. They spent more time laughing then they did eating. Lucy enjoyed hearing Natsu laugh. It matched his personality perfectly in her eyes.

When she finally finished her food, Lucy put her plate over Natsu's on the coffee table in front of them. Then, she leaned back into the couch before noticing the space between her and Natsu. She wanted the close the space between them, but was nervous. Last time she leaned against him while watching a movie, they were watching a horror movie, so it made sense. This time, it would be obvious she was doing it to be closer to him.

Her mind reeled back to her conversation with Gajeel earlier.

 _"Knowing Natsu, you're gonna have to make the first move a lot. He doesn't know what he's doing."_

Lucy couldn't believe she was about to take Gajeel's advice. Still, she wanted to make progress with Natsu, and she felt that closing the space between them while watching a movie was a good start. With flushed cheeks and a heart that was beating wildly in her chest, the girl scooted towards Natsu and slowly began to lean onto his side. His warmth washed over her in seconds as she snuggled closer to him.

Lucy felt Natsu tense, which made her a bit nervous. Luckily, his body relaxed soon enough and to Lucy's surprise, he wrapped his arm around Lucy, playing with the tips of her hair. A happy smile spread over her lips as she focused on the movie again.

Once the first movie ended, they decided to watch another one. This one was also a comedy, but wasn't nearly as funny.

Lucy's eyes started to feel heavy, unable to pay attention to the movie anymore. With her head resting on Natsu's shoulder and his fingers playing with her hair, she couldn't help but let slumber take hold her. In seconds, she was dozing off.

Natsu could tell Lucy had fallen asleep by the way her breathing had grown louder. Not wanting to wake her up, he didn't bother moving her to the bed. Instead, he stayed with her in that position, no longer paying attention to the movie.

His eyes trailed over Lucy's face, studying every feature. Her long lashes, her cute nose, and her pink, plump lips. They'd been trying new things lately, he couldn't help but wonder if kissing was going to be one of them.

He hoped so.

It felt weird to think about doing those sort of things with Lucy, but it was also exciting. He could never picture himself doing any of this with any other girl, but with Lucy, he found himself welcoming the thoughts, as weird as they were.

He was glad that they were making progress that day. Maybe someday soon, he'd have the courage to officially take it to the next level.

As he started to feel tired himself, Natsu thought about moving Lucy to the bed and then going back to Fairy Tail. Ever since they confessed, he hadn't spent the night at her place, not wanting to unknowingly pressure her into anything weird.

Gently picking Lucy up princess-style, he laid her onto the bed and covered her with the blanket. His lips curled into a smile as he gazed at her. The moonlight that peeked through the curtains and washed over her face made her look angelic.

"Night, Lucy," the boy whispered, turning to go home when he felt a hand encircle his wrist.

Turning his head to look over his shoulder, he found Lucy peeking up at him through half-lidded eyes, a blush staining her cheek as she held onto his wrist.

"Stay," she whispered, lighting a fire within him. "Don't go."

Natsu swallowed thickly, fire coursing through his veins as he nodded. Lifting the blanket, he situated himself underneath it, right beside Lucy, who was definitely feeling more confident being half-awake as she hugged him, her chest pressed against his side. Her head was resting over his arm, and his fingers moved on their own to play with her hair.

Feeling Lucy pressed against him was everything Natsu didn't know he needed. He usually had trouble falling asleep, but holding Lucy in his arms and also being held in hers, his eyes were closed in seconds. With their hearts beating in sync, they fell asleep together, hoping that it'd be like this every night.

* * *

 **AN:** So they aren't official yet but maybe soon? ;D Also, a lot of you asked about the other person Lucy knows who reincarnates and I can say that YES they will make an appearance in a later chapter!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed: **seehunnybees, Guest, Petri808, KarinStalker24, shootingstarssel, Lunar13, PrincessEmag, Guest, Cher, WhatAnimeHasTaughtMe, Mary Chou, Alexa60765, Weevilcat, Lucy, KJacket, Soul Eater Maka, Guest, CathJorda, MillennialStargazer, itsxoi, valerioux, KatanaNoNeko, Meow Orbit, FairyRains, magicarp03, MasterGildarts, Talia D'vile, SleepinBeautyK, SilverPowder, CodenameMise, stranger1999, Anna5949, SupGirl95, Mannyegb, Jazminee18, sxkurajima, Duchixx, Selfish Reader, Mandapandaa, mautrino, Juvia is my spirit animal, Zardi47, KYAAAA, CoffeeMaster16, Ctay1621, Animemama328, XxStar'sDustxX, Nalulove, jomarar1996, Yashagirl89, Guest, ToukaKanekiUlle.**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** I struggled a lot writing this chapter but I do enjoy parts of it. Hope you guys like it!

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Chapter 17

Ready or Not

Waking up with her legs tangled around Natsu's and her head over his chest was not how Lucy envisioned her morning to start. Remembering herself asking Natsu to stay last night had the girl's cheeks in flames. She couldn't believe she'd been so bold in her tired state, asking Natsu to spend the night with her…

Well, not like she could really complain.

Her eyes glazed over his features. His bangs, which were usually spiked up, now laid over his forehead. His scarf was still wrapped around his neck, making Lucy wonder how he could sleep while wearing it. His hand rested on her hip, making the space between her legs tingle as she thought of where else his hand could be.

" _Get your mind out of the gutter, Lucy!"_ she thought to herself. She had other pressing matters to ponder about anyways. Like her relationship with Natsu.

After last night, it was impossible to deny their feelings towards each other. Still, that didn't help Lucy define their relationship. They held hands, cuddled, and even fell asleep together. Those were all things couples did, not friends. But were they dating?

He'd never asked her to be his girlfriend, so she figured they weren't. But what if he just assumed that acting in such a way automatically made them a couple? Did it? Lucy didn't have a clue.

All of their other friends were in defined relationships. Why did theirs have to be so complicated?

Heaving a sigh, Lucy shook her head and forced those thoughts to the back of her mind. They were still in the early stages of their relationship- whatever that may be- it didn't make sense to start stressing about it now. Besides, they had plenty of time to figure it out.

Getting out of bed, Lucy grabbed some clothes before heading to the bathroom. Making sure to lock the door behind her- she knew very well that Natsu had a problem of barging in places- she started the shower and took off her clothes before hopping in.

Once she was dressed, Lucy exited the bathroom to find Natsu sitting on her bed, scrolling through his phone.

"You're finally awake," Lucy said, unable to help the warmth that rushed to her cheeks remembering that they slept together. Not to mention they were acting so casual about it, as if it was a normal thing. Sure, he'd slept in the same bed as her many times, but that was because he invited himself in to her chagrin. This time, _she_ had welcomed him _._

"You're the one that's up early," Natsu replied, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Well excuse me for having an early class. Shouldn't you be rushing home to get ready for math?"

"Why? It only takes me like twenty minutes to get ready. You're the only one that needs hours."

Lucy crossed her arms with a huff. "Whatever." Making sure her bag was ready for school and popping some bread in the toaster, the girl sat by him. Glancing at his phone, she found that he was scrolling through Facebook. "I didn't know you had a Facebook." Come to think of it, they hadn't added each other on any social media. They only had each other's phone numbers.

"Yeah, I do," Natsu replied with a shrug. "But I don't use it to talk to anyone or anything. I just use it to look at memes and stuff. Same with all of the other websites."

"You don't talk to anyone?"

"Nope. I don't even have any friends on it."

"You're kidding!"

Natsu brought up his friends list, and sure enough, it was barren. Lucy's brows rose. Never before had she met someone who had no friends. Sure, she had a similar account that she made to check up on how her old family members were doing, but that's because of her reincarnation.

"Does this have anything to do with your secret?" Lucy asked, the words stumbling out of her mouth before she could even think about them.

Natsu glanced towards her before nodding hesitantly.

"Then I won't ask you about it," Lucy said, upholding their agreement. Curiosity ebbed at her, but she ignored it. Maybe one day Natsu would trust her with the truth, but for now she was fine with how things were.

"Thank you," Natsu murmured.

Before she could reply, the toaster went off. Grabbing the toast, she slathered some strawberry jam on it before grabbing her keys.

"I have to go now," she said. Remembering the spare key she was given when she signed the lease, she grabbed it and held it out towards Natsu, her cheeks rosy. "You can get ready here if you want. Just make sure to lock the door on the way out."

Natsu's eyes widened, his cheeks matching his hair as he accepted the key. "You're giving me a key to your apartment?"

"D-Don't say it like that!"

"Like what!? I didn't even say it weird!"

Lucy flushed from head to toe, averting her gaze. "I-I just figured that since you're here most of the time anyways, you might as well use the door. And like I said, you have to lock the door on the way out if you're going to be getting ready here. There are some of your clothes in that hamper over there. I really gotta go now. Bye, Natsu! I'll see you in class later!" With that, she was out the door before he could reply.

Natsu stayed on her bed, staring at the silver key that rested in the palm of his hand.

" _I can't believe that weirdo already gave me a key to her apartment."_

* * *

"Good morning, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted while Jellal waved towards her.

Lucy smiled at her friends, taking her seat. "Morning, guys."

Levy stared at her, arching a brow. "Did you run to class or something?"

"No, why?"

"Because your face is really red!"

Lucy slapped her hands over her cheeks, turning away from her friend. Her overly persistent, curious, has-to-know-everything friend. "N-No it isn't! You're just seeing things, Levy-chan!" Ever since waking up next to Natsu and then giving him a key to her apartment, her body hadn't calmed down even slightly.

"No, your face is actually red," Jellal chimed in, much to the blonde's chagrin. "Are you sick, perhaps?"

"Maybe!"

Levy studied her. And sure enough, nothing ever got past the girl. "Or did something happen with you and Natsu?"

Lucy whipped her head towards the blue-headed girl, laughing frantically. "W-What gives you that idea!? You say weird things sometimes, Levy-chan!"

"Gajeel already told me about you guys."

Lucy groaned, slapping a head over her forehead. She should've known he was going to tell Levy about it. They were dating and all, it wasn't that much of a surprise. " _Still! I kept that jerk's secret about proposing! That guy is dead meat when I see him later!"_

"How could you tell Gajeel before _me!?"_ Levy's voice rang out, bringing her out of her thoughts.

A vein ticked in the girl's forehead as she leaned closer to Levy, glaring at her. "I don't know. Maybe I was going to tell you when we were supposed to meet up for smoothies but turns out you set up a little play date between Gajeel and I instead!" She pinched the other girl's cheeks.

Levy chuckled. "Oh yeah. Alright, I forgive you. How was that, by the way? Gajeel didn't really say. You know how he is."

"It was fine. I think he really warmed up to me over time."

"That's great! I really wanted things to stop being so weird between you guys since you're my best friend and he's my boyfriend."

" _Soon to be fiancé,"_ Lucy thought, a smile stretching over her face.

"Wait, what happened between you and Natsu?" Jellal questioned.

"They pretty much confessed to each other," Levy answered for the other girl, knowing that she would be too embarrassed.

"Really? That's good to hear."

Lucy fidgeted in her seat, embarrassed from the attention. It only got worse when she said, "I also asked him to spend the night last night. And I just gave him a key to my apartment this morning." Glancing towards Jellal, she asked, "Wait, are you going to tell Erza all of this?"

The boy gave an apologetic smile. "Well, she is my wife and all."

Lucy sighed. "Alright, alright. Fine." If she had a husband- she flushed when an image of Natsu popped in her head- she would tell him all the gossip right away. She couldn't blame her friends for doing the same. And since most of their group knew anyways, she might as well tell Gray later, who would then tell Juvia.

"I don't see why everyone is so invested in my relationship with Natsu anyways," Lucy said, crossing her arms. Though, that was a lie. She was invested in their relationships too, after all. She was just embarrassed.

"It's a big deal for us," Levy explained. "Natsu's never had a real girlfriend before so it's new to see him actually like someone in that way." She opted to leave out that everyone was also interested to see how a relationship between an immortal and a mortal would work out. "Plus, you haven't had a real boyfriend either."

"I've had a boyfriend before!"

"I said a _real_ boyfriend, Lu-chan. You said that you guys didn't really do much and didn't last long, so that doesn't count."

"I guess," Lucy muttered. "Either way, Natsu and I aren't even official yet. So maybe we shouldn't make a big deal out of it just yet."

"He hasn't made it official?" Jellal asked.

"Nope. Even though it's been days since we confessed. I'm starting to think he'll never ask."

"Natsu's never been one to really say what he's thinking," Levy said. "It's rare. He's more of a man of action."

"Well, he needs to act faster then because I'm getting confused with all of this waiting around. Should I ask him out?"

"If you want. It's 2018, go for it. Who says the guy has to ask the girl?"

Lucy buried her face in her hands. "Yeah, but I'm too scared. Or embarrassed. I don't really know _what_ I'm feeling, but I just can't ask him."

"Then don't," Jellal replied with a shrug. "You guys don't need a label yet. Take it as slow as you need to."

Before Lucy could reply, Capricorn entered the room, signaling the start of class. She couldn't stay focused, though, her mind wandering towards a certain pink-haired boy.

* * *

Once class ended, Lucy waved towards Levy and Jellal, telling them that she'd see them later at Fairy Tail. With a heart that was beating erratically in her chest, the girl took quick steps towards her next class to see Natsu. Oh, and Gray too, of course.

Opening the door, Lucy's eyes landed on Natsu immediately, her face going up in flames. Dusted over his cheeks was a faint blush. He was just as nervous as she was.

Taking her seat, Lucy smiled at Natsu, but her eyes were trained to the side. Bringing herself to look at him up close was impossible.

"Hi, Natsu."

"Hey."

Gray glanced between the two, his brow piqued. Their faces were red, and they weren't looking at each other. Then it hit him. "Oh shit. Are you guys finally together?"

The two whipped their heads towards him. While Lucy looked embarrassed, Natsu only glared at him.

Lucy studied Natsu, gaging his reaction. She hoped he would say something because she was just as curious as Gray. Were they together or not? She'd been asking herself the same thing for days now!

To her dismay, Natsu punched Gray upside the head.

"Shut up, Popsicle Princess," he grumbled.

Lucy sighed. That was no help.

"Oi! I was just asking a question!" Gray shouted.

Before the two could get into a fight, Aquarius walked into the classroom. With that, class began.

* * *

Natsu groaned once he finally escaped Aquarius' clutches. Even though the class was barely even an hour long, he considered it torture. Sure, the lessons were easy, but their professor was an absolute psychopath who loved to throw chalk at him if he even opened his mouth to talk to Lucy.

"Finally! We're free!" he shouted, pumping a fist in the air.

"I don't think that class is too bad," Lucy replied, walking in between the two boys.

"That's because you're that lady's favorite student for some reason." Noticing that Lucy had stopped walking, he turned around to face her, only to find a wide grin stretched over her face. "Lucy? What's up?"

"I win."

"Win what?"

"You just said that I'm Aquarius' favorite student, which means that you admit I got on her good side! I win the bet!"

Natsu gaped at her. "No way! I didn't mean it like-!"

"Whatever, liar! I win, you lose! Looks like you're taking me out to dinner!"

Heat traveled up to his face. When they originally made the bet, they were just friends. Taking her out to dinner would've been a normal outing. But now that they were… _whatever they were,_ it was no doubt considered a date. And since it was going to be his first date, he was going to make it awesome.

Ducking his face in his scarf, he muttered, "Yeah, yeah. Fine. But not today. I gotta plan this stuff out. I wasn't expecting you to win."

"Deal," Lucy replied, a warm smile glued to her face.

"You guys done yet?" Gray chimed in, hands in his pockets as usual. "I'd like to get to Fairy Tail sometime today, you know."

* * *

Reaching Fairy Tail, Lucy wasn't surprised that the whole gang was already there. Erza and Jellal were chatting amongst themselves while Gajeel, Levy, and Juvia were talking about something else. Approaching the table, all eyes landed on them. Lucy could tell by the blush spread over Erza's cheeks and the way her eyes darted between her and Natsu that Jellal had already spilled the beans. She wouldn't have been surprised if Juvia already knew too.

"How was class?" Jellal asked the trio.

"Horrible as always," Natsu answered, slouching in his usual seat and ordering a large helping of food.

"That's the class with the mean professor, right?" Levy questioned.

"She's not mean," Lucy replied. "Well, she can be. But that's just how she acts. Deep down she's really nice."

"I don't see it," Gray said, to which Natsu nodded his agreement.

"So what are everyone's plans for tonight?" Erza asked, changing the subject.

Lucy and Natsu shared a quick glance, automatically figuring that they'd be hanging out together.

"Why? What do you have in mind?" Levy asked.

The redhead smiled, cupping her chin. "I think it'd be a good time to have another girls' night, don't you think? With some of the recent… _changes_ in our group, I think it'd be fun."

"Oh! That does sound fun!"

"Then it's settled!" Erza exclaimed.

Lucy chuckled to herself. Erza hadn't asked if she or Juvia were okay with it, but that's what made the redhead so entertaining.

"Let me guess, we're doing this at my place, right?" the blonde asked.

"Of course. But don't worry, I'll buy us some food since we're intruding."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Another girls' day?" Natsu whined, crossing his arms. "How many of these things do you guys need to have?"

"Lots! Girl time is fun and necessary for a happy life!"

"What do you guys even do?" Gray questioned, annoyed that he wouldn't be able to hang out with Juvia.

Erza smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Soon enough, everyone was saying their goodbyes. Lucy watched Erza lean towards her husband and give him a quick kiss. Glancing towards Natsu, she wondered if they would ever do that.

Natsu turned towards Lucy to find the girl staring at him with red cheeks.

"Why are you staring at me like that? You weirdo," he teased. His lips curled into an amused grin watching her blush deepen as she pouted.

"No reason!" she replied. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Alright. Have fun, Luce."

With that, the girls were out the door in a fit of excited murmur and giggles. They stopped by a quick market to pick up some snacks and drinks, which Erza paid for, as promised. After that, they were on their way to Lucy's apartment.

Lucy jiggled her key in the lock before swinging the door open. Her eyes instantly landed on the pile of clothes that were on the floor beside her bed. A pair of white joggers and a familiar, one-sleeved coat.

"Are those Natsu's clothes?" Levy asked, wiggling her brows at the blonde, who was hastily picking them up and throwing them in the hamper.

"Maybe," Lucy answered, knowing that there was no point in lying to them. No one other than Natsu wore a coat like that.

"Jellal told me about your guys' confessions," Erza started, her cheeks matching her hair, "but I didn't think you would progress that fast."

"It's not like that!" Lucy cried, her cheeks set ablaze as she waved her arms frantically in the air. "He spent the night last night- _no nothing happened-_ and he got ready here when I left for class! That's it!"

"How did you two confess?" Juvia questioned. "Juvia hasn't heard the details yet!"

Lucy plopped onto her bed. "Well, it's a long story."

"Good thing we're spending the night here then," Erza replied. "Now tell us."

"Alright," she said with a sigh. "It was a few nights ago and Natsu and I got into an argument."

"An argument about what?"

Lucy recalled that fateful night. She had just found out that he- along with the rest of their friends- had been lying to her face about where they lived and a whole bunch of other things.

His warning from that night played in her head.

" _You can't let the others know about this, okay?" he said, holding her by the shoulders._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Remember how I said it isn't just my secret to share? Well, they don't want anyone knowing about it at all. If they find out that you know something is up, they won't let us hang out anymore."_

 _Lucy frowned, her suspicions coming back. "They would do that even though I'm friends with them too?"_

 _Natsu nodded. "Even though it isn't dangerous or anything like that, it's an important secret. If they find out you know, you probably won't see any of us again."_

Lucy swallowed thickly. All of her friends were staring at her, waiting for her to answer.

"It was something stupid," she lied, waving her hand through the air. "I don't even remember what it was." To keep them from questioning her about it any further, she continued, "Anyways, when we were making up, he told me I was his everything and I told him he was mine too."

"That's so cute!" Levy gushed, squeezing a pillow to her chest. "I wish Gajeel's confession was that cute."

Juvia smiled. "Gray's confession was very cute! He told Juvia that she was his!"

"That is pretty cute. What about you, Erza?"

The redhead cupped her chin in thought. It was decades ago that she and Jellal made their feelings clear. Still, that day was one she would never forget.

"We didn't really confess with words," she explained. "We shared a kiss and that was it."

"Who made the first move?"

"Well, it was pretty obvious that we both wanted it, so I would say it was mutual."

"That's so cute too!" Lucy squealed. "You two are so much bolder than I am!"

Erza grinned. "Yes, well, we've also known each other much longer than you and Natsu. It's easier to be bold when you've spent so much time getting to know each other."

"Are you two official now?" Juvia asked Lucy.

The blonde sighed, shaking her head. How many times had she heard that today? "No, not yet."

Juvia's lips curled downwards into a small frown. She opened her mouth, only to close it right after.

"What's wrong? What were you going to say?" Lucy asked.

The blue-haired girl averted her gaze. "Juvia was just wondering if Lucy is ready now. Last time we spent the night, you told us that you weren't ready for a relationship. Did something change?"

Lucy's eyes widened a fraction as she pondered the question. Was she ready? It wasn't like her reincarnation had disappeared over night. All of the problems she worried about before still existed. One day, she would die and have to watch Natsu move on. That, or he would die first, which was even worse. Plus, keeping her reincarnation a secret while dating Natsu was going to be tricky.

So far, a relationship seemed like trouble. Was it worth it?

As Lucy pictured Natsu's smiling face, her heart swelled with warmth, and she knew the answer.

 _He_ was worth it.

No matter how hard it was going to be to keep her reincarnation a secret, no matter how devastating it was to think about Natsu with another girl after she dies, no matter what, Lucy wanted to be with Natsu from the bottom of her heart.

Her lips quivered into a smile, tears welling in her eyes as she nodded. Lucy saw the other girls sharing quizzical looks, no doubt wondering why she was crying. Even if she could tell them why, it wasn't like they'd understand.

After literal lifetimes of closing herself off from everyone, stopping herself from making friends and dating, Lucy could finally say to herself that she was ready. It was a big step in her life.

Aquarius was right, there was no right time. Lucy had been waiting for a time when she wouldn't be scared of the possibilities, but that time was never going to come. She was still terrified, but she threw caution to the wind. Just as Aquarius put it, she had to charge in.

"I'm ready," Lucy breathed out, her voice shaky. "I'm actually ready."

Erza placed a hand over her shoulder, giving her a motherly smile. Even though she didn't understand the other girl's reaction, she was happy for her. "That's great to hear. I'm sure you and Natsu will be happy together."

"Well, if he ever asks you out," Levy chimed in. "Want us to talk to him for you?"

Lucy shook her head. "No thanks. It'll happen when it happens." Juvia wrapped her arms around the blonde in a tight hug, unknowingly suffocating her. " _This must be what Gray deals with."_

"Juvia is so happy for you!" she exclaimed. "Love is an amazing thing and now you get to experience it!"

"Thanks, you guys," Lucy replied with a giggle.

* * *

As hours rolled by in the blink of an eye, the girls got ready for bed. Lucy laid beside Levy.

"I hope you guys get together soon," Levy whispered since Erza and Juvia had already passed out. "Remember when I kept telling you I wanted you to meet someone so we could go on double dates? Looks like my wish is finally coming true!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "As if we could go on a double date. Natsu and Gajeel would kill each other before we even reach our destination."

"I guess that's true." The girl cracked a yawn. "I'm going to bed now, Lu-chan. Goodnight."

"Night, Levy-chan."

Lucy stared up at the ceiling. Last time the girls spent the night, so much had happened. She had broken down into tears in front of Natsu because the thought of her reincarnation had stopped her from kissing him. In the end, she was grateful it did. If they had kissed that night, they wouldn't have had their heartfelt confessions in the end.

Grabbing her phone, Lucy sent Natsu a quick message, asking him if he was awake. In seconds, her phone buzzed with a reply.

"Yeah I'm awake. I'm always awake this late," he texted her.

Lucy smiled, her fingers tapping the screen. "I miss you."

"Want me to go over there again?"

"No, I'll be fine. Just wanted to talk to you." Lucy frowned as minutes passed by and she hadn't gotten a text back. Once her phone lit up, her gaze shot towards the new text.

"How's girls' night?"

Lucy's lips stretched into an ear-to-ear grin. "Amazing. What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much, just playing some video games with Gray."

"Oh, Gray is over?"

"Well, we kinda live together."

Lucy's brows rose. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had figured that out when Gray had lied to her back at Fairy Tail.

"Does this mean all of you guys live together?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"Where?"

"Can't say, Luce. No more questions! I probably shouldn't have even told you that we live together in the first place."

"It's okay. I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks, Lucy."

"Don't mention it." A loud yawn slipped past her lips. "Well, I'm off to bed now. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit before I fall asleep."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then. This time just us?"

"It's a date!"

"Psh, no way."

Lucy rolled her eyes, biting back an amused grin. "That's just an expression, Natsu."

"Oh," he replied. She could just picture his blushing face. "Alright, then yeah! It's a date!"

"Goodnight, Natsu."

"Sweet dreams, Luce."

* * *

Natsu's eyes blinked open the next morning, woken up by a loud knock on the door. Grabbing his phone, he saw that it was already past two in the afternoon.

"Who is that?" Gray asked, his voice laced with irritation.

"How the hell should I know?" Natsu replied. Forcing himself out of bed, he walked towards the door, his feet feeling like bricks in his tired state. With his eyes narrowed in a glare, he swung open the door to find a head of blue.

"Levy? What're you doin' here?" he asked. Levy only went over to their room unless the whole gang was there.

The girl looked up at him, her face serious. "Get dressed. We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Lu-chan."

"What exactly about Lucy?"

Levy glanced towards Gray. "I'd rather talk about this alone."

Natsu nodded, still confused about the whole thing. "Alright, well just lemme get ready first."

Hopping in the shower, the boy wondered what Levy wanted to talk about. Whatever it was had to be serious. He rarely ever saw Levy like that. Then it hit him.

Sure that everyone knew about him and Lucy, he figured Levy was going to tell him not to hurt her. Or to hurry up and make it official.

" _Why do I hafta be the one to make it official?"_ Natsu thought with a frown. He'd been thinking it over for days and still had no idea what to do. It wasn't like he was purposely making Lucy wait.

After finishing getting ready, Natsu opened the door, unsurprised to find Levy waiting for him. He closed the door behind him. They were the only ones in the hallway.

"Well? What is it?" Natsu asked.

Levy shook her head. "Not here."

With a shrug, Natsu headed towards the stairs leading the way to the pub. Still, Levy wasn't satisfied.

"Not at Fairy Tail," she said.

Not knowing where exactly Levy wanted to go, he let her lead the way this time, following her out of the pub. He walked behind her on the streets of Magnolia, watching the petite girl squeeze her way through the throng of people.

Finally, Levy stopped at a playground, which was nearly empty save for a few kids who were swinging on the monkey bars. Natsu watched the girl's shoulders rise as she took a deep breath before turning to face him. Her brows were slanted as she gave him a pointed stare.

"Care to tell me what all of this is about now?" Natsu asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You said it was about Lucy, but what exactly about her?"

"What did you do, Natsu?" Levy replied, her voice quiet. Her eyes narrowed into a harsh glare.

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything!"

"Rules exist for a reason, Natsu! Do you think I don't want to tell Lu-chan about any of this!?"

"What are you talking about?" Natsu's hands balled into tight fists at his sides. He'd never been irritated with Levy before, but he was going to lose his patience soon if she didn't just spit it out already.

Levy's tiny fists tightened, and she squeezed her eyes shut as if thinking about what to say next. And when she finally did speak next, Natsu's heart stopped, his whole body filled with dread.

"You told Lu-chan the truth about us, didn't you?"

* * *

 **AN:** Uh-oh! Looks like Natsu got caught! Also, I'm dying to get to so many future parts of this story, but all good things come with time and patience. Well, I'll see ya next time! :D

Big thank you to the reviewers: **KatanaNoNeko, MOONECLIPSEHQ, KJacket, Rein Serenity, Anna5949, XxCelestialPrincessxX, Guest, AnimeBeauty23, MasterGildarts, Lucy, Alexa60765, valerioux, Densolator, Cher, stranger1999, Meow Orbit, sxkurajima, Guest, KYAAAA, KarinStalker24, Animemama328, shootingstarssel, MillennialStargazer, SilverPowder, leipooh, Soul Eater Maka, Mannyegb, Yashagirl89, Mandapandaa, Eldoris, Duchixx, enchantressXofsouls, CathJorda, Nalulove, ScallywagGirl, sincerelyrosemaryy, Dark Shining Light, Alexis Mulholland, Lodemai04.**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** What a fast update, am I right? :D I just enjoyed writing this chapter a lot, so things came to me pretty easily this time around. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter! :D

* * *

Chapter 18

Simmer

"You told Lu-chan the truth about us, didn't you?"

Natsu's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, filling his body with anxiety that had him breaking out into a cold sweat. His hands, which were previously balled into tight fists, now laid limp at his sides as his energy drained from him. He was immediately reminded of the night Lucy had confronted him.

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Natsu choked out in hopes of swaying the girl. "I didn't say anything."

"Don't you dare lie to me about this," Levy snapped, her voice laced with conviction he'd never heard from her before. "I want the truth."

"I am telling the truth! I didn't say anything!"

Levy stomped towards him, and despite being much shorter than him, her presence was strong and looming.

"You told her about where we live. I know because I saw your guys' texts from last night. Now, can I get the truth?"

Natsu's mouth went drier than a desert, causing his throat to sting as he attempted to swallow.

"I-I didn't tell her exactly where we live," Natsu said, knowing there was no escaping the truth now. At this, Levy threw her hands in the air, pacing around and shaking her head.

"How could you do this, Natsu?" she demanded, turning an angry gaze on him. "The rules are there for a reason!"

"You don't understand!" the boy cried. "She was already onto us!"

"How?"

"She dropped by the apartment we told her was mine and found it empty."

"You mean the apartment we had to lie about because you, for some bright reason, agreed to bring her over to your place? You've been setting this whole thing up for failure from the start!"

"Okay, yeah, maybe I slipped up a few times, but I'm not the only one!"

"So what happened?" Levy asked. "When she found out?"

Natsu's lips curled into a frown as he remembered Lucy's tear-stained face from that night. "She started asking who I am and asking me where I lived. I tried lying my way out of it at first I swear, but she wasn't falling for it. And… And then she said she couldn't be around us anymore because she couldn't trust us."

Levy nodded. Her heart panged hearing that her best friend held such feelings towards her at one point but it was understandable. "Then what?"

Natsu clenched his jaw. "I-I couldn't let that happen, Levy. You have to understand. She's your best friend, right? There's no way you can just live without her!"

"Tell me what happened, Natsu."

"I told her that I don't live there. That I've never lived there. And she was about to cut ties with all of us but I managed to change her mind."

"How?"

"I told her that I wanted to tell her but it wasn't just my secret to share. Then she made me promise her our secret isn't anything dangerous. And we made an agreement that if something comes up that I can't tell her the truth about, she'll understand but I can't lie to her anymore."

Levy's hands tangled in her blue locks, tugging on them in stress. "This is bad, Natsu. Really bad."

"I know, but I didn't have a choice!" Natsu insisted. "I… I can't lose Lucy. I just can't."

"Natsu-!"

"Put yourself in my shoes, Levy. Imagine losing Gajeel."

Levy sighed. The thought of losing Gajeel was something she never had to worry about. They were immortal, after all. Though despite not being able to relate to the boy, she did understand.

"I'm sorry, Natsu, but you're going to lose her either way," Levy said, tears pricking her eyes. "Once the others find out about this, we'll be sent to the basement and we won't be able to see her again."

"Then they won't have to know about it! This can be our own little secret!" Natsu grabbed the girl by the shoulders, staring into her eyes pleadingly. He was desperate.

"They're going to find out without us even telling them!" Levy shouted, shaking him off of her. "Lu-chan told me that you guys confessed after an argument you had. I'm guessing the argument wa about this, right? That wasn't even that long ago and yet I already found out!"

"I know, I know. We messed up. We shoulda been more careful and we will be from now on! Just please promise you won't tell anybody. I'm begging you, Levy. Please."

Levy squeezed her eyes shut, allowing the pesky fears that welled up in the corners of her eyes to slide down her cheeks. There was no way they were going to be able to keep this under wraps. Not when Jellal was just as intuitive as she was. And not when Erza had a knack for finding things out as well.

Still, the thought of not being able to hang out with Lucy at their favorite smoothie shop or gush about a new book broke Levy's heart and she found herself nodding.

"Alright," she said. "I'll keep this secret with you. But you better make _damn_ sure that you and Lu-chan hide it better. And no more telling her anything."

"Deal!" Natsu exclaimed. A huge weight was lifted from his shoulders, finally allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Levy."

Levy ignored him, turning away and walking back towards Fairy Tail. In truth, she was still mad at the boy. Sure, he wasn't the only one to slip up around Lucy, but his were the biggest. It was because of his mistakes that Lucy was onto them and it was because of his mistakes that their friendship was in danger.

" _He better make sure to keep our secret."_

* * *

Natsu shoved his hands in his pockets as he dragged his feet through the busy streets of Magnolia. With all of the crowded vendors and tourists, voices boomed throughout every inch of the town. They went unheard to the boy, however, as he was drowning in his own thoughts.

He'd slipped up. And now he was scared his relationship with Lucy was going to have to pay for it.

Reaching the familiar apartment, Natsu stopped just outside of the wooden door. Reaching underneath his scarf, he pulled out a key that he'd looped inside of an old chain he had, making it into a necklace. He stared at the cold metal that rested in the palm of his hand. To others, it may have appeared to be just a key. But to him, it was a symbol of how much progress his relationship with Lucy had gone through.

He'd never had a real girlfriend before- sure, they weren't official yet, but he couldn't help consider Lucy as his. Hell, he never even had feelings towards another girl before. And yet now that he finally found someone that was right for him, someone that had given him the key to their apartment, he was about to lose them.

He was about to lose her.

Heaving a sigh, Natsu jiggled the key in the lock. Swinging the door open, he found Lucy standing in front of her vanity. She adorned a maroon dress with a plunging neckline to show off the assets she was proud of. It clung to her body, falling to her calves. She was playing with her golden tresses, seemingly trying to decide what to do with them as she started lifting them into a high pony before letting them fall over her back.

Once he took a step towards her, her head whirled towards him. Her chocolate brown eyes, which were already large on their own, widened as she took sight of him. He could see them brighten as she looked at him, which made his heart flutter. A smile, one that he'd fallen in love with, graced her face. It provided temporary hope. Hope that even though he'd messed up, things would be okay.

"Natsu! How'd you get in?" Lucy asked.

Natsu lifted the chain around his neck, showing off the key. "You gave me a key to your apartment. Did you already forget, you weirdo?"

Lucy flushed, awkwardly chuckling. "Oh right. I guess I did."

"Did you want it back or something? I guess I can start comin' in through the window again."

"No! Keep it!" Lucy exclaimed. Embarrassed by the sheer desperation that laced her voice, she amended, "You know, so that you don't have to come through the window."

Natsu smirked. "Sure, sure. Whatcha all dressed up for?"

Lucy's brows rose, her blush deepening. "Isn't our umm… _date_ today?"

"Oh, right," Natsu replied. His lips curled downwards into a small frown. With everything that happened with Levy, he hadn't been able to plan anything for that day. Not to mention he wasn't really in the mood for going out at the moment.

"Did you not want to go anymore?"

Natsu whipped his head towards Lucy, so fast he feared it flying off. She was smoothing her hands over her dress, avoiding eye contact as she frowned.

"I do want to!" Natsu exclaimed as if the louder volume would help convince her. It seemed to have worked as Lucy shyly lifted her gaze to meet his. "I do, I promise, Luce. But something came up and I couldn't plan anything. And… I guess I'm not really in the mood anymore. Today, at least."

"Oh."

"Are you mad?"

Lucy smiled at him, shaking her head. "Of course not. We'll just reschedule it."

Natsu studied the girl for any signs of deceit. He knew just how much she was looking forward to it, if her flashy outfit was anything to go by.

"You're really okay with not going?" he asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Lucy replied, arching a brow.

"Because look at you. You're all dressed up. It's obvious you wanted to go."

"Yeah, I did. But I want to go when _you_ want to go too. And it's not like we're canceling our plans forever. We're just rescheduling, right?" Natsu nodded, prompting her to continue. "Besides, you're my best friend and it's clear you're upset about something, so I want to help you feel better. If that means staying home and watching movies, or maybe even just sitting in each other's company, I'll do it in a heartbeat. I don't care what plans we have to cancel if it means cheering you up."

Natsu's body flooded with warmth as he took in the girl's sincerity. He wasn't like Jellal. He didn't have a way with words. And he wasn't like Juvia either, who could easily display her feelings through physical touches. But in that moment, he was going to surprise both himself and the girl he was quickly falling in love with.

Walking up towards Lucy, who was in the process of taking off her large hoop earrings, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. He rested his head over her shoulder while her face was flush against his chest. His fingers found home in her curled golden locks. This was where he was meant to be, in her arms. Immortality be damned, he was going to make sure he spent every possible minute he could with her.

"Thank you," he murmured. "Thank you for everything."

Lucy's body tingled as his warm breath fanned her shoulder. Slightly pulling away from Natsu, she gazed into his onyx orbs, so dark in color it made her feel like she was diving into the deepest part of the ocean. Her eyes flickered to his lips, her tongue darting out and wetting her own. Lifting her gaze to meet Natsu's again, she found that he was now staring at her lips. Time stopped, both willing themselves to move forward and close the space between them.

Their moment ended as quickly as it started, Natsu's lips curling into a smile. Lucy felt her body relax at the sight of the carefree grin plastered on his face. With flushed cheeks, they both began to laugh together.

One day, perhaps soon, they would close the space between them in a kiss. But for now, they were fine with how their relationship was progressing. Their feelings for each other were clear as day. That was all they needed.

Lucy cleared her throat, taking a step back to put some space between them.

"So, what do you want to do today?" she asked, lacing her fingers together behind her back.

Natsu shrugged. "Haven't really thought about it. Wanna watch a movie?"

"Sounds like a plan! I'll let you choose the movie this time since I chose last time."

Used to their routine, Natsu scrolled through Netflix, trying to find something that both of them would like. Even though it was his turn to choose, he didn't want to make Lucy sit through a movie for hours only to hate it. Lucy grabbed some pajamas before heading to the bathroom to change. She was about to cook them dinner, and since she planned on re-wearing that dress for when they actually do go out, she didn't want to get it messy.

Once everything was set up, bowls of ravioli sitting on their laps, Natsu started the movie. It was a comedy movie this time since they watched all of the good horror ones already. Laughing more than they ate, it took forever for them to finish their food.

Natsu eyed Lucy as she put her empty bowl on the coffee table in front of them. Now that she was finally done eating, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him so that they were both laying down. Before, it took a lot of courage for him to make a move on Lucy. Now that he wasn't scared of rejection, he felt comfortable with the idea.

Lucy beamed, snuggling closer to Natsu. In all of her lifetimes, she'd never felt more at home.

Once they finished the movie, tears were streaming down their faces, it being one of the funniest movies they'd ever seen. The atmosphere was lighter now than it had been when Natsu had arrived. It was finally time for Lucy to ask what had been on her mind.

"So, why were you upset earlier?" she asked, turning off the TV.

Natsu frowned immediately, tugging on his scarf. It was a habit of his. Whenever he was upset or scared, he found comfort in the scaly texture.

"It's about Levy," he answered. There was no point in hiding it. He had to bring it up anyways. "She knows that I let you in on a little bit of our secret."

Lucy's eyes widened, her mouth parting. "Does that mean-"

"No, we aren't going to be separated. I managed to convince her to keep it a secret."

"Oh. That's good then, right?"

"Yeah, but it would've been better if she never found out in the first place. She really wasn't happy with me that I told you all that stuff."

Lucy frowned. Her best friends were fighting, and she was to blame. "Did you tell her why you told me?"

"Yeah," Natsu answered, rubbing the back of his head. "But it doesn't matter. In Erza's eyes, there's no good excuse for telling people about our secret. Even if it means losing you."

"Wait, how did she even find out in the first place?"

"She said that she saw our texts last night. When we were talking about how everyone lived with me."

Lucy slapped a hand over her forehead. "Shit. Okay, that was my fault. I didn't know that she was still awake." Perhaps keeping her phone on full brightness wasn't a smart idea when her friend was in bed next to her.

"It's okay. We just have to be extra careful from now on."

"Would we really be separated if they found out?" Lucy questioned, her brows drooping.

Natsu thought it over. Knowing Erza and the others, they would definitely go back down to the basement. It was the rule, after all. Fairy Tail had been kind enough to take them in, feed them and keep them safe from those who threatened them. Putting up with the rules that they had was the deal. In exchange for all of the benefits Fairy Tail had to offer, they had to abide by the rules.

And suddenly, Natsu had an idea.

"No," he finally answered. "They won't. I'll make sure of it."

"How?" Lucy asked.

"Can't say. But you don't have to worry about it anymore, okay?"

Lucy eyed him skeptically, wondering what kind of plan he had up his sleeves. Whatever it was, she doubted it was good, but she couldn't question him about it any further. She just hoped that whatever haywire plan he had worked.

* * *

The next morning, Natsu took in a deep breath, indulging himself in the addictive aroma of the girl laying beside him. One of his arms was underneath Lucy's head, feeling like pins and needles after having been laid on all night. Still, he endured the torturous feeling to let her sleep longer. His other arm was draped over the girl's side, his hand resting on her bare stomach as her shirt had ridden up during her sleep.

Though Natsu's decision from the day before was a tough one to make, waking up with Lucy in his arms made it worth it. If it meant being able to stay by her side, he'd do anything.

Finally, he felt Lucy began to stir, meaning she was going to wake up soon. Soon enough, her eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," the girl mumbled, snuggling closer to him.

Natsu's lips curled into an amused grin. She was always bolder whenever she was tired. "Morning, Luce. Ready to get up now?"

"Nope."

"Too bad."

Natsu cackled as he tore off the blanket and began bouncing in bed. Lucy groaned, swatting at the boy and yelling at him to stop, but she knew he wouldn't. With great reluctance, she sat up and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I hate you," she grumbled.

"No you don't," Natsu said. He leaned closer to her, his face mere centimeters from hers. He had to stifle his laughter as he saw a blush coat her cheeks immediately. Lightly tugging on the ends of her hair, he pushed forward just a bit, making their lips even closer. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest, and he was sure that Lucy's was doing the same. "You wouldn't be blushing like that if you hated me."

Lucy snapped back to her senses, glaring at him. He was teasing her! Slapping his arm, she shouted, "Shut up, jerk!"

Natsu's laughter filled the air as Lucy got out of bed, her arms crossed. Her signature pout was glued to her face, bringing tears to the boy's eyes. He loved that face.

"Do you wanna go to Fairy Tail today?" he asked.

"Do you?" Lucy arched a brow at him. "Aren't you and Levy-chan fighting?"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "I wouldn't say we're fighting. Well, I hope we aren't. But even if we are, it's better to fix it, right?"

"That's true. Alright, let's get ready. I'm going to go take a shower really quick!"

A lazy smirk stretched over Natsu's face. "I have to shower too. Why don't we save time and do it together?"

Lucy's cheeks were set ablaze as she became a sputtering mess. "N-No way, idiot! I'm not showering with you!" Though she'd be lying if she said the thought hadn't crossed her mind before.

"I'm kidding, Luce. Hurry up! And don't take forever like you usually do!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, grabbing a fresh set of clothes and heading to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she stared at the lock. She usually locked the door, knowing that Natsu had boundary issues but… With pink cheeks, Lucy got undressed and hopped into the shower, the door to the bathroom left unlocked.

The girl had read some erotic novels in her lifetimes and was even in the process of writing her own. She knew the classic trope of the guy walking into the bathroom while the girl was in the shower because the door was unlocked. Did she want Natsu to do the same? Of course not!

" _Maybe a little,"_ Lucy thought, her cheeks burning hotter than the water coating her skin. Why else would she have left the door unlocked?

Lucy wondered if those kinds of thoughts were bad. After all, she and Natsu weren't even together yet. Hell, they hadn't even kissed! Why was she thinking about Natsu coming into the bathroom, taking off his clothes, joining her in the shower and making her scream his name against the shower wall while their bodies were wet and-

" _Okay, too far, Lucy!"_ the girl thought, slapping her cheeks. Still, could anyone blame her? Natsu was drop dead gorgeous with his perfectly chiseled abs and messy hair. And it wasn't her fault that her eyes sometimes managed to catch the sight of his pants hanging lower than usual!

Knowing that she wasn't going to be able to get those thoughts out of her head until she acted on them, Lucy slid her hand over to her wet folds. She started with slow ministrations, moving softly against her clit. She wasn't used to pleasuring herself while standing up, but she sure as hell couldn't do it in her normal spot with Natsu sitting on her bed.

Speaking of Natsu, images of the pink-haired boy filled her mind, as there was nobody else she would rather imagine. She pictured him naked, pushing her against the tile wall. She thought of him drawing her erect nipple into his mouth. Using her free hand, she rolled her fingers over the hardened nubs herself while still rubbing her fingers over her clit.

Pleasure began to build up within the pit of her stomach, prompting her to speed up her ministrations. She rubbed herself quickly, moving in circles over her flesh. With the warm water running over her and thoughts of Natsu fucking her against the wall, it was only a matter of time before Lucy shattered against her own hand, loud, breathy moans escaping her lips which she hoped were drowned out by the sound of the shower.

After her orgasm, Lucy finished her shower as quickly as possible.

* * *

Natsu was sure he was just hearing things when he heard the first moan. With quick steps, he stopped outside of the bathroom, pressing his ear against the door. He'd always had better hearing than most, which allowed him to hear yet another moan coming from inside the bathroom.

With red cheeks, Natsu swallowed thickly. He knew just what Lucy was doing in there. A familiar, tingling sensation erupted in the pit of his stomach. Not long after, a tent was formed in his pants.

Lucy was in the bathroom, touching her wet, naked body and moaning. Could anyone blame his body for reacting the way it did?

Gritting his teeth, the boy tried to calm himself down. Even if he thought about it at least once a day, they weren't ready for that step.

" _I wonder if she's thinking of me while she's doin' it,"_ he thought. Shaking his head, he took deep breaths, hoping to calm down the bulge in his pants. He sat back down on her bed, hoping to drown out the sound of her breathy moans.

Once Lucy stepped out of the shower, a bellow of steam following her out of the bathroom, Natsu watched as she went to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk. He knew she often enjoyed drinking milk right after a hot shower or bath.

His eyes were drawn to the clothes she was wearing. A red tee shirt and some black leggings, which were just the tiniest bit see through that he could see the imprint of her underwear. Through the thinness of her shirt, he could make out her nipples, which were still hard and poking through her shirt.

" _Why isn't she wearing a bra?"_ Natsu wondered, stifling a groan. It was hard enough to control himself as it is. It didn't help that seeing her wear his favorite color aroused him as well.

Lucy chugged down the milk, some of it drizzling down her chin. Natsu swallowed thickly, watching the white substance drip down her face. He'd had some pretty familiar fantasies before, but it wasn't milk he pictured…

" _This is going to be the death of me."_

Lucy put her cup in the sink and grabbed a sweater. Throwing it on, Natsu was relieved- but also a bit disappointed- that he couldn't see her hardened nubs poking through her sweater.

"Ready to go?" Lucy asked, turning towards him.

"Yeah, I'll follow you," Natsu replied.

The blonde shrugged, heading out the door. Natsu sighed in relief, taking deep breaths to calm himself down before removing the pillow he had situated in his lap. Now that his hard-on was gone, he followed Lucy to Fairy Tail.

* * *

Arriving at the pub, the two were anxious to see everyone else. Had Levy caved and spilled the truth? Was their friend still angry? There was only one way to find out.

Sitting at their usual table was the rest of the gang. Levy turned towards them, her lips drawn in a straight line. She didn't look too pleased, but it didn't look like she told them either, based on how Erza greeted them.

"It's nice to see you, Lucy. Natsu," the redhead greeted.

Natsu stifled a sigh of relief, grateful that Levy kept true to her promise. "I'm gonna get food real quick."

Lucy sat on the opposite side of Levy. She hoped things weren't awkward between them, and it wasn't like she could just bring it up now to find out.

"So?" Gray's voice called out, catching her attention. "You and Natsu a thing yet?"

Lucy groaned. "Would you guys please stop asking me? No, we aren't."

"Need me to-"

"And _no,_ I don't need you to beat some sense into Natsu. Thank you."

"Lame," Gray said, crossing his arms. He'd use anything as an excuse to fight Natsu.

Natsu walked back to the table, carrying a table stacked with meat. "What's lame?"

"Nothing," Lucy replied. She didn't want him to know that they were talking about their pending relationship status. "Just some school stuff."

Natsu studied the girl before nodding. It was obvious she was lying; he could read her like an open book.

"At least Thanksgiving break is coming up," Jellal said, transitioning the conversation smoothly to go with Lucy's lie.

"What are your plans for Thanksgiving, Lucy?" Juvia asked.

Lucy glanced at Natsu. "Well, Natsu and I were planning on spending Thanksgiving together since we aren't going back home."

Everyone's eyes widened. _Natsu_ was going to give up his favorite holiday to keep Lucy company? Natsu loved Thanksgiving more than any other holiday, even Christmas. He enjoyed stuffing his face with Mira's delicious cooking. To think that he was giving that up… The boy was in love!

"Yep!" Natsu said, throwing an arm over the girl's shoulders. "So you better make an awesome meal for me!"

Lucy gave him a pointed stare. "You're going to help me cook, right?"

"Do you really want me cookin' Thanksgiving Dinner?"

"…I guess not. Then you're helping me pay for the ingredients!"

"Sheesh, Lucy! When'd you get so cheap?"

"Since you entered my life and started eating all my food!"

"Perhaps we shall join as well," Erza suggested, her lips curved into a grin. "Of course, we'll bring some food over as well."

Lucy beamed at her. "That sounds fun! The more the merrier, right?" She turned to Natsu.

He shrugged. "Fine with me."

Lucy grinned. She hated Thanksgiving in this lifetime. Her father was never there even when she visited, so she had always spent the day alone while everyone else got to spend time with their families. It was a day that never failed to remind her just how lonely she really was.

But not anymore. After lifetimes, she finally had friends. Friends who actually wanted to spend the holiday with her. No matter how much time passed, she was never going to forget them.

* * *

"I better get going now," Lucy said once it started to get dark. Arching a brow at Natsu, she asked, "You coming?"

"Imma stay here a little longer," Natsu answered. He wanted to talk to Levy, who had been quieter than usual that night. "I'll be over there later."

"Okay. Bye, everyone!"

Everyone waved to the blonde.

"We're gonna head downstairs now," Gray said as he and Juvia got up. "Cana said she wanted to show us something."

"What is it?" Levy asked.

"Probably nothing. Just an excuse to get us down there so she can get us drunk. You know how Cana is."

"I'll join you," Erza said. "I'd like to talk to Mira."

"I'm gonna go work on my projects," Gajeel said. "You wanna come?" he asked Levy.

"No thanks. I'm going to go read."

With that, the group split up, most of them going downstairs. All that were left at the table were Natsu and Levy.

"I told Lucy that you know, by the way," Natsu said, tugging on the ends of his scarf. He'd never felt awkward around Levy until this whole mess happened.

"I figured by the way she kept looking at me tonight," Levy replied. "I still think this is a horrible idea."

"I know."

"If they find out, we're going to be back in the basement."

"Not me."

Levy's brows rose. "What do you mean? Of course you're going back to the basement. That's the rule."

"For Fairy Tail members it is," Natsu replied with a shrug. "If they find out and tell me to go back to the basement, I'll just leave Fairy Tail."

"You'll _what!?_ Natsu, do you understand what you're saying?"

"Completely."

"You won't have any money, you know? You only get your funds because you're in Fairy Tail. And it's not like you'll be able to get a job on your own if you aren't associated with us. You don't have any paperwork. Plus, you'll be exposed! It'll be so much easier to find out your secret!"

"But I'll be with Lucy," Natsu said, his eyes brimming with resolve. "And that's enough for me."

Levy frowned. "Natsu, I get it. I really do. But your relationship with Lu-chan isn't worth all of that. You two haven't known each other long, and your relationship as it is isn't even stable. Who knows if you guys will last?"

"I know we will."

"Okay, even if you do last, she's going to find out eventually that you don't age. She's going to grow old while you stay the same. What are you going to do then?"

Natsu's fists clenched at his sides. "I don't know but I don't care. All I know is I want to be with Lucy, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to do it. She's worth it."

Rising from the table, Natsu headed towards the exit without a word of goodbye.

Levy watched his retreating figure, a frown plastered to her face. Now she definitely had to keep their secret, not just for Lucy's sake, but for Natsu's as well. His plan was more than reckless. It was a mistake.

She knew that she couldn't change his mind, either. People do crazy things when they're in love, after all. Still, she couldn't let Natsu ruin his life.

" _Please, whatever god is out there, don't let anyone find out about this."_

She could only hope her prayers would be heard.

* * *

 **AN:** Well? What do you guys think? :D Let me know in the reviews!

Thank you to the reviewers: **Anna5949, Ace27gd, Lodemai04, CodenameMise, shootingstarssel, Guest, Rein Serenity, KatanaNoNeko, KarinStalker24, NoOneUneedtoknow, Lucy, CathJorda, ScallywagGirl, Cher, MillennialStargazer, AnimeBeauty23, Guest, Lunar13, valerioux, MasterGildarts, XxCelestialPrincessxX, ToukaKanekiUlle, Jazminee18, stranger1999, zahad dragneel, PrincessEmag, nosserate, Mandapandaa, ThaDesperado64, CoffeeMaster16, Soul Eater Maka, NaLuAlways26, XxStar'sDustxX, Duchixx, ilovecookiessooomuch, CurlyBookWriter94, Stubenhocker, Alexa60765, sxkurajima, Sana, M2Anne, Guest, Yashagirl89, Guest, Nalulove.** You guys KILLED it with the reviews. It inspired me to get this one out as fast as I could lol.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:** I LOVE THIS CHAPTER SO MUCH SO I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS DO TOO. It's by far the longest chapter so far.

* * *

Chapter 19

Halloween

The day was finally here. The day to dress up, party, and have a good time. It was finally Halloween.

Lucy never really cared for the holiday. Not since she was a kid in her first lifetime. But now that she had friends to celebrate with, she couldn't help but feel the excitement bubbling within her.

"Alright, give me your clothes," she said.

Natsu smirked. "Pretty bold of you to demand for my clothes, Luce."

Lucy's face went up in flames. Smacking the boy upside the head, she replied, "You know what I mean!"

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu went to take off his white joggers when Lucy smacked him again. "Oi! What's your problem!?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Lucy shouted. She cursed the area between her legs for tingling in arousal. "Don't strip in front of me, pervert! I meant go take it off in the bathroom! What are you, Gray?"

Natsu clutched his heart in mock pain- or perhaps real pain, Lucy wasn't sure. "How could you compare me to that guy? That's just cruel, Lucy!"

The girl rubbed her temples, trying to smooth away her oncoming headache. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. Now just go change, will you?"

Natsu grinned, finally heading to the bathroom to do as he was told. Returning, he was clad only in his boxers and scarf, his clothes balled up in his hand. Lucy's face turned red in an instant.

"Why are you only in your boxers!?" she screeched. "That was the whole point of you going to the bathroom to change!"

"It's not my fault!" Natsu replied, catching her fist before she could punch him. "You didn't give me your clothes to change into!"

"You could've told me from the bathroom to grab them for you, idiot!"

"You should've just remembered!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault! You're the pervert!"

"Quit callin' me a pervert!" Natsu shouted, pinching the girl's cheeks.

"I wouldn't have to call you one if you didn't act like one!" Lucy retorted. She tugged on his hair.

"Ow! Let go of me!"

"You let go of me!"

The two continued to push and tug on each other, falling to the floor with a thud. That didn't stop them from going at each other. Lucy let out an annoyed huff as she was restrained beneath Natsu, her arms pinned over her head as he hovered over her. A cocky grin was glued to his face, one she wanted to rid him of.

"Ha! I win, Luce!" Natsu jabbed. His legs were on both sides of hers, caging her in.

Lucy wriggled beneath him, trying to free her arms from his grip. "Let go!"

"Nope! Winner gets to choose when the other is freed!"

Puffing out her cheeks, Lucy glared at him. Mustering up all her strength, Lucy pushed against him, catching him off guard and surprising him enough to weaken his hold on her wrists. With a speed she herself didn't even know she possessed, she flipped Natsu onto the floor, reversing their positions. Now, Natsu laid beneath her while she caged him in, holding his arms at his sides.

"Whoa, Luce!" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes lit with excitement. "That was pretty good! When'd you get so strong?"

"When I saw that annoying look on your face," Lucy answered, a proud smirk ghosting her lips. "I knew I wanted to wipe it off your face."

Natsu mirrored her expression. "Oh yeah? You mean this face? Well, hate to break it to ya, Luce, but…" He overwhelmed her with his strength, flipping them over once more and eliciting a yelp from the girl. His face was mere centimeters from hers. "You can't hold me down for long."

Lucy swallowed thickly. Natsu's breath fanned her face. Her body squirmed, a dull ache building within the pit of her stomach as the area between her legs screamed to be dealt with.

Natsu pulled away slightly, relishing in the blush that coated Lucy's face. His gaze moved on its own, lowering until it landed on Lucy's chest. She was wearing a simple shirt that clung to her body, accentuating her shapely chest. His eyes moved downward again. His cock, confined only in his thin boxers, hovered slightly over her.

A familiar, tingling sensation erupted within his boxers. Knowing he was about to lose the tiny bit of control he had left, Natsu let go of Lucy's wrists and sat down, freeing her. He had to calm himself down, lest he grow right in front of her. He thought of anything that revolted him. Spoiled food, vehicles, Gray. Anything he could think of to keep from getting hard.

Lucy sat up, her gaze immediately landing on Natsu's boxers. A vein ticked in her forehead in annoyance. How the hell was he not aroused from that? Here she was, wet as a river, and he hadn't even grown an inch! Was she not sexually attractive enough?

With a huff, Lucy grabbed Natsu's clothes and headed to the bathroom. She knew it was an irrational thing to be annoyed over, but she couldn't help it. She wanted Natsu to be just as into her as she was with him.

Lucy closed the door to the bathroom behind her, leaning against it with a soft sigh. Even in her annoyance, she was still turned on. After all, Natsu was right above her, only in his boxers for god's sake. And that look in his eyes. She knew she wasn't imagining him gazing at her body. Her body was begging for release, but she didn't have the time.

Pulling on Natsu's white joggers, she tightened the drawstring so that they wouldn't fall. Then, she picked up Natsu's coat. He usually wore nothing underneath it, but she couldn't do the same. As confident as she was with her body and showing it off, wearing his weird vest with nothing underneath was bound to provide countless of wardrobe mishaps throughout the night. Hence the black, strapless bra she was going to pair with it.

Then an idea hit her.

Still annoyed that Natsu hadn't gotten aroused from their little wrestling match earlier, Lucy tore off her bra and threw the vest over it. It just barely hid her nipples, but one tiny gust of wind or one wrong movement would expose her. Using some hairspray, she slicked some of her bangs up into a cowlick to match Natsu's look.

With that, she was out the door.

Natsu had only just managed to calm himself down once he heard the bathroom door open. All of his efforts went out the window at the sight of Lucy. She was wearing his clothes, just as they had planned. And though she never said she would put anything under his vest, that was what he expected.

Instead, Lucy walked out with nothing underneath, leaving much of her breasts exposed. He gulped, his gaze trained to her chest, waiting for a slight breeze to hit so that he could see it all. Feeling the tingling sensation return, he shook his head and forced himself to meet her gaze.

"Well?" Lucy asked, gesturing to her outfit. "What do you think?"

Natsu bit the inside of his cheek, trying to calm himself down. Her movements caused his vest to move slightly, nearly giving him the sight he craved. "G-Good! Looks good!"

Lucy fought off a smirk. "I'm glad you think so! I do too. Shows off just enough, don't you think?"

"Are you going to the party in that?"

"Yeah! This is how you dress, and we agreed to go as each other, after all."

"Yeah, but…"

"But what?"

Natsu dragged a hand down his face in agony. "Isn't it… you know."

"I don't know what you're trying to say," Lucy replied. It took all she had not to laugh.

Natsu groaned, throwing his head back. "It's too showy, Lucy!"

"You think so?" Lucy asked, cocking her head to the side. She brought her hands to the hem of the vest at her breasts, running her fingers over the material. She could see Natsu gulp. "It's not like it shows anything."

"But it will the moment you move!" Natsu replied. The tingling sensation in his pants grew stronger and he could feel himself hardening. Clamping on the inside of his cheek again, he tried to calm himself down. He assumed getting hard in front of Lucy would only scare her off.

He had no idea that's what she was going for.

Lucy eyed his boxers, waiting for something to spring forward. He was obviously into her. Why wasn't it working? Then she noticed his hands at his sides, balled into tight fists. Looking closely at him, she could see that his jaw was clenched.

" _He's calming himself down!"_ Lucy thought, a wide grin stretching over her face. So her efforts were working, he was into her like that! Feeling satisfied, Lucy nodded. "You know what, you're right. I better throw something underneath it. Thanks, Natsu!" With that, she headed back to the bathroom.

Natsu heaved a sigh of relief once the busty blonde was out of sight. Glancing down at himself, he frowned.

"Sorry, buddy," he said quiet enough so that Lucy couldn't hear him. "Big day, huh?"

Once Lucy was done getting ready, she came back in much more appropriate clothing. She was still wearing his joggers and his vest, only this time she had a black bandeau underneath it. The strap of clothing still revealed a hefty amount of cleavage, which was of course Lucy's style. Since she was going dressed up as Natsu, she couldn't dress as promiscuously as she would've liked. She had to spice it up somehow. To top off the look, she wore a pair of black sandals.

Natsu bent over in laughter. "Oh man, I can't believe you actually put some of your hair up too! You're really goin' all out!"

"Don't be too surprised," Lucy replied, a smile on her face. "You're going to be wearing ribbons. Now hurry up! Go get dressed!"

"Wait, one more thing." Natsu stood in front of Lucy, unwrapping his scarf and draping it over her. "There. Now you're really dressed like me."

Lucy's eyes widened, her mouth parting and going dry. "I-I can't take this. This is too important to you." While the cloth may have just been a scarf to everyone else, she knew the sentimental value it held to the boy. It was a memento of his father, there was no way she could wear it.

Natsu chuckled softly, ruffling her hear. "It's not like I'm giving it to you forever, weirdo. Just for tonight. I trust you. I know you'll keep it safe. Now hurry up and give me your clothes so I can stop dressing like Gray."

Handing Natsu the outfit, Lucy waited for him to return. Soon enough, he came back dressed in her clothes, along with a blonde wig he bought just for this occasion. Laughter filled the air, both of them wheezing and clutching their stomachs as tears filled their eyes. Natsu was dressed in a tight, zipped-up vest that was much too small on him, looking more like a crop top than anything else. To match the blue cross-design on the top, he wore a blue mini-skirt, showing off his muscular legs. From the way he stood, he definitely looked out of place in the skirt.

"You look ridiculous!" Lucy exclaimed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Stand with your legs together!"

"It's not my fault! I don't usually stand like that!" Natsu replied.

"Oh well. Let's do your hair! Come here!"

Natsu sat cross-legged in front of Lucy on the bed. He closed his eyes as Lucy's fingers sifted through his hair. Well, his wig.

Lucy grinned, grabbing his hair and tying the fake locks into pigtails. She used blue ribbons to match the rest of the ensemble.

"There! All done!" she said.

"Aww," Natsu whined. "I like when you massage my head like that."

"I was just doing your hair, weirdo. Now come on! It's time to pick out your shoes! Oh, and hate to break it to you, but you're going to be wearing heels."

Natsu shrugged. "Shoes are shoes."

"Have you ever worn heels before? It's not a walk in the park, you know?"

"I haven't, but how hard can it be? It's just walking."

Lucy grinned. "Yep! You're right! So let's give you these to wear!" She held up a pair of black boots with heels. She didn't want to make it too hard for him to walk, so she chose a pair with thick heels.

Glancing at the clock, she noted that they still had some time before Fairy Tail's Halloween party. Grabbing her camera, she stood by him.

"Let's get some pictures before we go," she said.

"Yosh!" Natsu replied. His hand rested on her hip, pulling her closer together so they can fit the camera's frame. With bright grins, they took the picture. They changed their poses each time. Some were silly while some were more formal. Well, as formal as they could be wearing each other's clothes.

"Let me get a picture of just you!" Lucy said.

"Let me pose like you then!" Natsu exclaimed. He twirled one of the pigtails around his finger, planting his other hand over his hip, which he exaggeratingly jutted out. In a high-pitched voice, he continued, "Hi, my name's Lucy! I like wearing skimpy clothes and complaining when I'm cold!"

Lucy glared at him, though it was all playful. Snapping the perfect picture, she laughed. "You're ridiculous."

"Your turn! Pose like me!" Natsu instructed, grabbing the camera.

Lucy's cheeks puffed out as she tried to hold in her laughter. She held her arms at her sides, flexing her muscles in a body-builder pose. "My name's Natsu! I barge into people's homes and eat their food!"

Natsu cackled, taking the picture. "I don't barge into people's homes. I only barge into yours."

"Same thing." Glancing at the time, she found it was time to go. "Ready to go to Fairy Tail?"

"Yosh! Let's go!"

* * *

"LUCY MY FEET ARE KILLING ME!" Natsu wailed as they reached the pub. "How do you wear these things almost every day!?"

"You get used to it," the girl answered with a shrug. "But I thought you said, 'it's just walking.' What happened to that attitude?"

"It died, along with my feet. Seriously, they're gonna be bleeding later."

"Probably."

Opening the doors to the guild, Lucy was surprised to see that it was decorated for the holiday. Fake cobwebs were placed in every corner of the building and on the lights, fake spiders attached to them. There were dangling decorations of witches, werewolves, and zombies hanging from the ceiling. Even the menu was revamped with drinks that exuded holiday spirit.

"This is amazing!" Lucy exclaimed over the loud music. People were even dancing, their movements sloppy from their intoxication.

"Too loud," Natsu complained, crossing his arms. "Let's just go meet up with everyone else already."

Heading towards the back, they found Erza and the others at their usual table. Lucy awed, her eyes moving over everyone, taking in all of their costumes. Erza was dressed as a knight, adorning shiny armor that actually looked real.

" _There's no way she has real armor,"_ Lucy thought. Glancing at the redhead's side, she saw a sheath, the handle of a sword sticking out of it. Sweat dropped down her face. " _I hope that isn't a real sword."_

She then glanced towards Jellal, who was dressed as… Well, she had no idea. He wore glasses and a white button-up shirt.

"Umm, are you dressed up as anything in particular, Jellal?" Lucy asked, hoping she didn't offend the boy.

He frowned, glancing down at himself. "Why does nobody get my costume? I am a librarian."

Erza chuckled. "He insisted that he make and come up with his own costume this year and this is the result."

Lucy awkwardly laughed. " _Well, I know who isn't winning the contest."_ Her eyes moved to Gray next. He was fidgeting in his seat, his hand tugging at the collar of his costume. He was dressed up as a prince, a shiny crown resting on his head. It was obvious he was itching to take it off.

Juvia sat beside him, adorning a beautiful blue dress and a shiny tiara. A pleasant smile was plastered to her face as she held onto Gray's arm.

"Juvia is a princess!" she exclaimed. "And Gray-sama is her lovely prince!"

"You look amazing, Juvia!" Lucy replied. And it was true. The blue dress matched her hair perfectly, contrasting with her fair skin. Glancing at Gray, she continued, "I'm surprised you've kept your clothes on this long."

"It won't last," the boy replied.

Lucy laughed, her gaze landing on Gajeel. Her jaw dropped on its hinges. His costume as actually spectacular, it wouldn't have surprised her if he won the contest. Dressed in a white suit, his black hair was styled into a pompadour hairdo. A guitar was slung over his shoulder.

"Oh wow," Lucy breathed out. "I never would've imagined I would see Gajeel dressed up as Elvis."

The boy smirked. "Pretty snazzy, right?"

"You look stupid!" Natsu jabbed.

Lucy glanced at Levy next and promptly squealed at how cute she was. In a glittery, lavender dress made of tulle, she was dressed as a fairy. To go with the rest of her ensemble, she had a wand and elf-ear decorations.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy gushed, clasping her hands together. "You're so cute!"

"Thanks, Lu-chan," Levy replied, smiling at her. Even though they hadn't talked about Lucy knowing part of their secret, things luckily weren't awkward between them. "Your costume is…"

Everyone stared at the pair before erupting in a fit of laughter.

"You two went dressed as each other!?" Gray shouted, bending over in laughter.

"You said my costume was stupid!" Gajeel added, pointing at Natsu. "Take a look at yourself! You're wearing a skirt and _heels!"_

"I think it's pretty funny," Levy said, snickering behind her hands.

"Everyone looks amazing," Erza stated. "But now it's time to have fun. Let's go dance!"

The boys groaned, none of them being a fan of dancing, especially around the redheaded demon who insisted on spinning them until the point of throwing up. Knowing that they didn't have much of a choice, they joined the girls on the dance floor.

Lucy laughed, jumping up and down with Levy. They weren't skilled dancers- well, Lucy knew how to ballroom dance thanks to her father, but that wasn't really the type of dancing expected in a bar at a Halloween party. So, they simply hopped to the beat. They didn't care if they looked ridiculous, there were some people so drunk that they weren't even on beat.

"Hey, can we talk later?" Lucy said. She wanted to clear the air with Levy. Even though things weren't awkward between them, they still had to discuss it.

"Yeah," Levy answered with a nod. "I'll text you later tonight?"

"Sounds good. For now, let's party!"

As music continued to blare throughout the pub, so did the sound of laughter as the group danced the night away. Erza and Jellal had gotten the group a round of shots, which they all downed quickly. The drink left a burning feeling in her throat and instantly made her belly feel warm.

"Try not to get too drunk this time," Natsu said as he grabbed Lucy's wrist and gently pulled her away from Levy. It was a pain in the ass dealing with Drunk Lucy, he did not need a repeat of that.

"I won't," Lucy replied. "I learned my lesson. Besides, I wouldn't get drunk in public."

Natsu nodded. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah! Are you?"

He nodded again. "It's always fun when we're together, remember?"

Lucy blushed, hoping that it wouldn't be noticeable in the dark room. She grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Yeah, it is. Now come dance with me!"

Natsu gave a wide grin, watching as Lucy jumped up and down. "Is that what you've been doin' this whole time?"

"Yeah!"

"You call that dancing? That's just jumping! _This_ is dancing!"

Natsu moved wildly, waving his arms in the air, spinning around, all the works. He wasn't on beat, but that was really the least of his problems. Anyone who saw him must have been judging him, but he didn't care. He never cared what others thought of him and that was something Lucy admired about him.

Lucy laughed, allowing herself to let loose even more. Pumping her fists in the air, she kept jumping up and down, this time spinning. Perhaps it was the shot of vodka she downed earlier, or maybe it was being around Natsu, either way, she had a lot more courage now.

"That's more like it!" Natsu exclaimed, watching Lucy dance. She looked ridiculous, really. But it was endearing.

That is, until a hand landed on her shoulder.

Natsu moved his gaze to find a boy around their age, his hair black and messy. He wore shades over his eyes despite being in a dark room, a white button-up shirt and some black jeans. In his other hand, the one that wasn't latched onto Lucy's shoulder, was a cane.

"Your dance moves are sick!" the boy said, leaning closer to Lucy.

"Thanks," the blonde replied, shrugging his hand off of her.

"What are you supposed to be?"

"My friend."

"That's funny!" the boy exclaimed, his obnoxious laughter clashing against the music. "Wanna guess who I am?"

"Not really."

"I'm one of the three blind mice. I can't see, so I need to use you to keep my balance."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Isn't that what the cane is for, genius? Can you please leave me alone? I'm trying to have fun with my friends."

The boy glared at her. "I'm just trying to make conversation."

"And I'm ending it."

The boy reached out towards her again, prompting Lucy to stomp on his foot. It wasn't as effective as she would've liked since she wasn't wearing her heels, but it was enough to make the boy yelp. His glare harshened before he walked off, muttering incentives.

Natsu allowed himself to calm down as the other boy left. He was about to pummel the guy himself when he saw him reach towards Lucy again, but she was one step ahead of him.

"Anyways," Lucy began, turning her attention back to Natsu as if nothing ever happened, "back to what we were doing!"

Natsu chuckled. "You're awesome, Luce."

"Huh? Because of what just happened?"

"Because of everything you do!"

Lucy smiled. Glancing at the rest of the group, she found that everyone was split up with their respective partners. Knowing that they weren't going to be watched by their friends, Lucy grabbed Natsu's hands. They jumped up and down together, moving wildly and never letting go of each other.

* * *

Once everyone got tired of dancing, the group made their way back to their table. Erza had gotten them another round of shots. Lucy was limiting herself to only three shots, already starting to feel a slight buzz.

"What now?" Levy asked.

"I say we head towards our next destination," Erza answered, an excited gleam in her eyes. "Magnolia's famous haunted house."

Lucy and Levy clung onto each other, both hating haunted houses. They were all full of jump scares.

"Yosh! Sounds awesome!" Natsu exclaimed. "Let's go!"

Erza ordered them one more round of shots before they were on their way.

* * *

The haunted house was being held in a roller rink in town, decorated with props. The inside was filled with screens covered with black sheets, making a maze of some sorts for customers to follow. After paying the cashier, they were let in but only as pairs.

Lucy watched as Erza and Jellal went first, their forms disappearing into the maze. Not hearing any screams, she was starting to feel hopeful that the place wasn't too scary.

" _Then again, I doubt Erza and Jellal scare easily."_

Gray and Juvia went next, followed by Levy and Gajeel, until it was eventually her turn with Natsu.

Natsu grinned at her, nudging her side.

"Ready?" he asked with a grin.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she answered.

Natsu glanced down at her hand. No longer as nervous around the girl, he reached down and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. He felt her gaze on him and he went to duck his face behind his scarf, only to remember that Lucy was wearing it so he couldn't hide his face.

Okay, maybe he was still a little nervous.

Lucy smiled, her hold on his hand tightening. Feeling less scared than before, she braved into the maze, her hand never leaving Natsu's.

And then she screamed her head off as someone reached out, waving their bloody hand in front of her face. This continued throughout the rest of the tour, Lucy screaming at the top of her lungs while Natsu laughed at her.

By the time they reached the exit, Lucy's hair was a mess, her skin was pale, and her eyes were wide and bloodshot. Natsu had a huge grin on his face.

"I knew that was Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a snicker. "We could hear your screamin' all the way from here."

"It was pretty scary, huh Lu-chan?" Levy said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I'm never going to a haunted house again," the blonde replied, her voice scratchy from all of her screaming. Glancing towards Erza, she found the redhead talking to some of the crew. "What's Erza doing?"

Gray chuckled, going to shove his hands in his pockets before remembering that he took off his costume during the tour. "She's lecturing the employees, tellin' them about how it's bad business to have a haunted house that isn't scary. She's giving them tips on how to really scare their customers."

"That sounds like Erza."

Once the group exited the building, the moon was already high in the sky. The night air was chilly, especially when most of them were underdressed.

"It is time for our final event," Erza said. "It is time to announce who is the winner of our costume contest." Glancing at her husband, she gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Jellal, but surely you know that you are in last place."

The boy sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"Everyone else did wonderful, much to my surprise. The next loser, who although is dressed beautifully, did not manage to wow me as much as the other contestants. I'm sorry, Juvia, but you are out of the contest."

"Juvia is okay with that," the blue-headed girl replied, clutching Gray's abandoned costume to her chest. "Juvia is just glad to have been able to see Gray dressed up as her prince!"

"Speaking of Gray, he is our next loser," Erza announced. "Although your costume was nice and neat, and it is a surprise that you managed to keep it on as long as you did, you are the next loser because you did not have a sword with you. Princes carry swords. It's simple."

"Ehh, whatever," Gray replied with a shrug.

"Our next loser is Lucy. Although your idea was amusing, Natsu does not wear anything under his vest."

"I thought it would be inappropriate to not have something underneath," Lucy said.

"Nonsense. You must be completely in-character. Next up is Levy. The elfish ears and wand were perfect additions to your costume. And your height goes perfectly with what you were going for, but unfortunately the last two contenders were even better. That just leaves Gajeel and Natsu."

"Just hurry up and tell us who wins," Gray said, rolling his eyes. "Enough with all the explanations."

Before anyone could even process what happened, Erza had punched him upside the head. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Our last two contenders dressed amazingly. Gajeel, your Elvis costume is splendid. You even have a guitar to go with it. Natsu, your costume of Lucy is also impressive, especially since you managed to keep the heels on all night."

"Can't wait to win and rub it in your face!" Natsu taunted Gajeel.

The other boy barked back, "I'm gonna be the winner!"

Erza cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention. "And the winner of this year's costume contest is none other than…" She paused for dramatic effect. "Natsu! Sorry, Gajeel. But the guitar you have is a different kind than Elvis used, which is why you lost."

"HA!" Natsu shouted. "In your face!"

"Shut up," Gajeel grumbled, glaring at him.

"What do I win!?" Natsu asked, turning back towards Erza.

The redhead smiled, fishing in her pockets for two tickets to one of the best pasta restaurants in town.

"These tickets will pay for your drinks, entrees, and a dessert," Erza explained. "I gave two tickets, so you may take someone with you. Your reservation is scheduled in half an hour, so I suggest you start heading there now."

Natsu grabbed the tickets. "Sweet!" Turning towards Lucy, he cocked his head to the side slightly. A faint blush coated his cheeks. "Wanna go, Luce?"

"Of course," she replied. "Bye, everyone! I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"Have fun, Lu-chan!" Levy called out to the girl, watching as the two went on their way. Once they were out of earshot, she turned towards Erza. "You gave the win to them on purpose, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the other girl replied, feigning innocence.

"Really? You got two tickets to Lucy's favorite restaurant as the prize. Plus, Gajeel's guitar is the same kind that Elvis used. Meaning your critique was wrong."

"Alright, alright," Erza said, a grin dancing on her lips. "I might have given them the win. I can't help but want to nudge them a little."

"Even if she's a mortal?"

Erza sighed. "It's true, a relationship between them won't work out in the end. But this is the first time Natsu's ever liked someone. I want him to be as happy as he can. While he still has the chance to be with her."

The group grew quiet, imagining the possible outcomes of the two's relationship. No matter how it ended, it wouldn't be good. Still, they wished Natsu and Lucy luck.

* * *

Reaching the restaurant, Natsu handed the server the two tickets and told him about their reservation. They were led to a table which was luckily reserved for them considering the place was packed. Most people were dressed in normal clothes, but there were a few like them who exuded the holiday spirit.

Natsu ignored the judgmental looks from everyone else. He wasn't sure if it was because of the crop-top, the skirt, the heels, or even the wig that was catching everyone's attention, but he didn't care. He was just glad to be with Lucy at her favorite restaurant.

"How awesome is it that the prize was a free meal at this place?" Lucy exclaimed, a pleasant smile plastered to her face.

"We sure got lucky," Natsu replied. He propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his palm. Pink dusted his cheeks as he continued, "So I know I didn't plan this, but how about we consider this our first date?"

"First?" Lucy repeated, a smile ghosting her lips. "You must be pretty confident in yourself if you think there's going to be another."

Natsu smirked. "Well, yeah. You did give me the key to your apartment. How can I not be confident after that?"

"Fine. This can be our first date. But you still owe me one that you plan yourself."

"Alright, you've got yourself a deal!"

Once the waiter came and took their orders, the two played a game to pass time. Grabbing a sugar packet, they slid it across the table towards each other. The goal was to slide the packet with just the right amount of force that it slightly hung off the edge of the table so that the other person could try to flip it over. If they were able to flip it over, that person had to down the packet of sugar.

They went back and forth, their efforts futile. They would either slide it with not enough force to reach the end of the table, or with too much force that it slid right off into the other person's lap.

Finally, one slide had potential.

Lucy squeaked, seeing the packet hanging dangerously over the edge of the table. If she was able to flip it, she'd have to eat the entire packet of sugar. Hoping the packet would just bounce back, she flicked it, causing it to flip much to her chagrin.

"Ha! I am on a roll today! First I beat you at wrestling, then I beat everyone at the costume contest, and now I beat you at this!" Natsu shouted. "You gotta eat it now, Luce!"

"I know, I know!" the blonde replied. She tore open the packet, making a face of disgust before pouring it all into her mouth and swallowing it. "Okay, no more! This game is too unhealthy!"

"Only if you lose," Natsu replied, a heavy smirk on his face.

Once their food arrived, they shared an eager glance before diving in.

* * *

Making their way back to Lucy's apartment, Lucy collapsed onto the bed with a content sigh. The day was full of excitement. It was a day she'd never forget. But now she was glad to be home again.

Natsu kicked off his hellish shoes before he collapsed by her, though he was laying the opposite way so that his head was by her feet.

"That was some good food," he said, rubbing his belly.

"It was. I'm glad you won," she replied. "I think I need some water to wash it all down though. Want some?"

"Nah," he answered, but he still followed her into the kitchen.

Lucy opened the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, chugging some of it down to help with her full stomach. Feeling better, she put it back to save it for later and turned on her heels to head back to the bed. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with Natsu, who had apparently joined her.

Lucy looked up at him, a smile curving over her lips. "I had fun today."

"Me too," Natsu replied. Though, his mind reeled back to the random boy at the pub who had tried hitting on Lucy. Just the thought of a boy hitting on her annoyed him. He hated when boys tried to flirt with her, especially when he was right there. And he hated the fact that he couldn't blame them even more.

After all, Lucy was technically a single woman.

"Hey," Natsu began, rubbing the back of his head. His gaze was drawn to the wall, unable to meet hers. "There's something I've been meanin' to talk about."

"What is it?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side and arching a brow at him. She could tell that whatever it was that was on his mind was serious.

"Well… I don't know," Natsu said, feeling around for his scarf which was still sadly wrapped around Lucy's neck. His cheeks matched his hair as he struggled to say what he wanted. His fists tightened as he forced himself to meet her confused gaze. He was just going to come right out and say it.

"I like you, Luce," he said, his voice serious. Black bore into brown as he continued, "I like you as more than a friend. And even though you never full-on said it before, I think you like me too."

"I-I do!" Lucy replied, her face set ablaze. Her heart was crashing around inside of her chest, feeling like it was going to burst through. She didn't care how eager she sounded, she didn't care if she was blushing, she just wanted to make sure he understood just how she felt about him. "I do like you. M-More than as a friend."

Natsu smiled, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His hands relaxed at his sides. A weight felt like it was lifted from his shoulders. Even though they knew each other's feelings towards each other, it was different to have it officially announced.

" _Official, huh?"_ Natsu thought. Swallowing thickly, he said, "I wanna go out."

"On another date?" Lucy asked.

He shook his head. "No. Well, yeah. I do wanna go on more dates with you but that's not what I meant. I meant that I wanna be more than friends. Like Gray and Juvia."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Are you asking me out?"

"Luuucy," Natsu whined, dragging a hand over his face. "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be!"

"I'm not!"

"You are! I don't know what I'm supposed to say, so just say yes!"

"Yes," Lucy said, smiling up at him with rosy cheeks. "There, I said it."

Natsu grinned at her. "So… It's official."

"Yep."

His eyes darted towards her lips, pink and plump as always. He swallowed thickly. "You know, I think most people celebrate in these kinda moments."

Lucy licked her lips, seeing as how Natsu's gaze was drawn to them. She didn't think it was possible that her heart could beat any faster, but here it was, beating so fast she had to put a hand over her chest in hopes of calming down.

Natsu's eyes followed the movement. Grabbing her hand that was resting over her chest, he pulled her closer to him, their faces mere inches apart. His eyes began to droop closed as he pushed forward. Their lips were close. So close to finally closing the space between them. They just barely grazed against each other before Lucy burst into a fit of laughter.

Natsu's eyes opened as he glared at Lucy, who was still laughing.

"Sorry, sorry!" she said. She looked up at his head. "It's just really weird to be kissing someone dressed up as me!"

Natsu couldn't help but laugh at that. Removing his wig, he asked, "What about now?"

"Better."

Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck and planted her lips over his. Every cliché in the movies happened between them. The fireworks, the feeling of walking on air, all of it. Their kiss was innocent, only a chaste peck in which neither of them parted their mouths, but it was filled with enough passion to leave them both breathless.

Lucy pulled away, peeking up at him through her lashes. She could see a deep blush coating his cheeks.

"W-Well?" she asked shyly. "What now?"

Natsu snapped back to his senses, grinning at her. "Now we get into the holiday spirit and binge watch a bunch of scary movies."

Lucy nodded, a happy smile glued to her face. "Sounds like a plan."

Just like always, they sat on the couch, watching as characters were killed on screen. Only this time, their minds were preoccupied with thoughts of the other's lips.

* * *

 **AN:** YAY IT'S OFFICIAL! And I know a lot of you expected the big revelation to be revealed before they got together, but I wanted them to get together first! I wanted them to recognize the problems they would have as a couple and have that growth to be able to like "know what? idc I wanna be together anyways" Buuut now that they're together... who knows when the revelation will happen? ;D

Thank you to the reviewers: **Guest, CathJorda, Starstruck-MJ, KarinStalker24, Ace27gd, shootingstarssel, KatanaNoNeko, Faeridoki, zahad dragneel, Alexa60765, Guest, Guest, MillennialStargazer, nationalcarmen, Lunar13, KJacket, ScallywagGirl, MasterGildarts, Tohka123, Weevilcat, valerioux, Doginshoe (** I have to point out that this is the funniest review I've ever gotten lmao **), Soul Eater Maka, Guest, Azure Dragon, Guest, Lucy, GreekTragedy97, Duchixx, Mandapandaa, Sana, NaLuAlways26, ilovecookiessooomuch, Nalucontestpoke, stranger1999, nosserate, KYAAAA, M0nster94, Cher, Kylnee, Alexis Mulholland, PinkButterFrog, Anna5949, Yashagirl89, Dark Shining Light, ToukaKanekiUlle, Meow Orbit, sxkurajima, Inthecrowd, HelloIamTrash, Jernfer, Nalulove, Guest, Guest.**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN:** Sorry about the little wait! Time really got away from me haha! Btw I'm really curious for those who read Sailing with Fire, which do you like more, this story or that one?

* * *

Chapter 20

Quadruple Date

A week had passed since Natsu and Lucy made their relationship official. Much to their delight, things hadn't changed that much. Sure, they shared kisses and were more affectionate now, but they were still best friends above anything else. They still laughed together, played games, watched movies, all the same things they did before they started dating.

Lucy was surprised that she didn't feel too nervous around Natsu anymore. Now that everything was out in the open and her feelings were reciprocated, her confidence was up. If she wanted to hold Natsu's hand, she did it. If she wanted to cuddle, she did it. Being in a relationship with Natsu was easy so far, she didn't know why she was so scared of it before.

Okay, maybe it wasn't a complete walk in the park. Now that they were dating, Natsu spent even more time at her apartment- which most thought was impossible considering he barged in almost every night. With the extra time spent at her place, she had noticed that some of his stuff had slowly started making way into her home, finding permanent locations.

It wasn't that she minded moving in with him. In fact, it had crossed her mind a few times, the only reason she didn't follow through being she didn't want to move too fast. The problem was whenever Natsu was trying to find a place for some of his stuff, sometimes he would get too close to seeing something she didn't want him to see.

At first it started with small stuff, like her thongs. Even though he'd seen her underwear before- and even naked thanks to his lack of boundaries- she was embarrassed when he opened her drawer and found the motherload of stringy lace. Still, that wasn't the worst of it all.

If she had been any other normal person, it would have been. But she wasn't normal.

A couple of days into their relationship, Natsu brought a plastic bag full of bathroom essentials. He already had some basic stuff like a toothbrush at her place, but this time he brought a razor and aftershave, some extra deodorant so he didn't have to bring his back and forth, and some stuff he said was for the gym.

Lucy shrugged it off, not minding all of the extra stuff until she saw Natsu go to open the bottom drawer in her bathroom. In a flash, the blonde was bustling into the bathroom, her eyes wide and her mouth dry as she watched him open the drawer where a certain golden necklace was placed. Her heart felt like it was on overdrive, threatening to burst out of her chest.

Luckily, Natsu just poured the bag's contents into the drawer without even casting her necklace a glance. It wasn't like necklaces were suspicious, so he didn't have a reason to even look at it in the first place. Still, it made her antsy whenever he went into the bathroom, scared that one day he'd open her locket. So, she waited until he was out of the apartment to take it and hide it somewhere else. Under the mattress, to be precise.

But other than the occasional reincarnation scares, Lucy was having a fun time being Natsu's girlfriend.

Lucy closed her writing journal with a content sigh. Since Natsu was out at the moment, she decided to write her heart out before stashing the journal away once again. Her eyes drifted towards the clock. It had been three hours since he left.

Lucy refused to become one of those girls who devoted all of their time to their boyfriends, wanting to spend every single second of the day clinging onto him. A pout rested on her face. Alright, maybe it was easier said than done. She missed him, was that so bad?

There was a knock at the door, bringing Lucy out of her thoughts. An eager grin danced on her lips as she rushed to open the door, surprised to find Levy.

"Levy-chan? What are you doing here?" she asked with an arched brow.

"Well, you agreed to talk about you-know-what a week ago and we never did end up discussing it," the other girl answered, smiling at her. "And I figured I'd drop off the book you wanted to borrow while I'm at it."

"Oh, you're right!" Lucy replied, smacking a hand to her forehead. They were supposed to talk on Halloween, but then she'd been preoccupied with Natsu. A week into their relationship and their friends still didn't know they were together. "I was supposed to text you! I completely forgot!"

"It's fine, I figured you did," Levy replied. "So, what exactly did Natsu tell you?"

Lucy averted her gaze, wringing her arms together. "Well, not much. He just told me that you all lied about where he lives. Oh, and that you all sort of live together."

"Is that all?"

"Yes! Nothing else, I promise!"

Levy sighed. At least it wasn't anything too revealing about their secret. It was still bad that he told her, of course, but it could have been worse.

"Listen, Lu-chan," Levy started, rubbing the back of her head. A frown rested on her face as she continued, "I'm really sorry about keeping these things from you. And for lying to you. I know Natsu already told you there's a reason for it, but I know it doesn't feel good being lied to."

"It's okay," Lucy replied with a smile. "I already forgave Natsu, so it wouldn't make sense being upset with you still."

"Well, I'm still going to apologize because unlike Natsu, I can't promise that I won't lie to you again. I know you two have that agreement and it's fine, but I can't agree to that."

Levy felt guilty, but her resolve kept her voice firm and steady. It wasn't just for her sake, it was for everyone's. If Lucy found out, then it would be bad for all of the immortals having to go back into hiding. It would be bad for Lucy, who would suddenly lose almost all of her friends. And it would be the worst for Natsu, who decided to leave Fairy Tail if it came down to it. Lying was just something that had to be done.

"Well, thank you for being honest with me about that," Lucy said, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. It stung a bit to hear that Levy was going to keep lying to her, but she understood and appreciated the honesty in her statement. "Really, it hurt most whenever Natsu lied to me. As long as he doesn't lie to me anymore, I think I'll be okay."

Levy wiggled her eyebrows, smirking at the other girl. 'Because you loooove him."

Lucy's face went up in flames. "A-About that… You want to know why I didn't get around to texting you last week?"

"Why?"

"It's because I was too busy kissing Natsu."

Silence fell on the pair before Levy jumped out of her chair, pointing a finger at Lucy.

"Are you serious? This better not be a joke!" she shouted, her eyes the size of golf balls.

Lucy nodded her head frantically. "Yeah, we kissed! And we've actually been dating since then!"

"Oh my god, Lu-chan! Why didn't you tell me!?"

"I'm sorry! It's just a little soon to be telling everyone, don't you think?"

"No way! Juvia told us a split-second after she and Gray made it official! Oh my gosh, Lu-chan! You have a boyfriend now! Finally!"

"Well you don't have to word it like that!"

"We can finally go on that double date I've been dying for! Tell me everything that happened in the last week, don't spare a single detail! Wait! Let me call Erza and Juvia! They'd want to hear this too!"

Lucy sighed, knowing there was no way in dodging this. Her friends were apparently just as invested as she was in her relationship with Natsu.

* * *

It didn't take long before her front door swung open, Erza and Juvia inviting themselves in. In the blink of an eye, Juvia grabbed Lucy's hands, shaking them excitedly.

"Juvia is so happy for you and Natsu!" she exclaimed. "Juvia remembers when she and Gray got together. It was years ago, and-"

"Juvia, we've all heard that story a million times already," Erza said, grabbing the blue-headed girl by her collar and dragging her away from the blonde to give her space. "Right now, we want to hear about Lucy and Natsu." She narrowed her eyes at Lucy, a dangerous gleam reflecting off of her dark irises. "So, you and Natsu have been together for a week now and haven't told us?"

"I'm sorry, don't kill me!" Lucy shouted, holding her hands up in surrender.

"Tell us everything and perhaps I shall spare you."

Lucy retold the story about how she and Natsu got together, making sure not to leave out a single detail. Her cheeks burned bright red as she went over their first kiss, explaining the passion shared between them despite it being an innocent peck. And she retold every kiss they shared after that.

"Well? How's Natsu at kissing?" Levy asked, leaning towards the blonde in curiosity.

Lucy glared at her friend. "What kind of question is that!?"

"A good one!" Juvia answered for the other girl. "Tell us! We all know that Lucy is the first girl Natsu has kissed. Was it good?"

Lucy fought the oncoming smile she felt breaking through her face. It was nice to know that she was Natsu's first, and even though he couldn't be her first kiss, she planned on him being her first for everything else.

" _I hope I can be his last, too."_

A hand waved in front of Lucy's face, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?" Levy called out. "Earthland to Lu-chan! Answer the question already!"

"Oh right," the girl replied. "I don't really know how to answer the question. I've only kissed one other guy before and it was only a quick peck, so it's not like I have the technique mastered or anything like that. But I can say that kissing him makes my body feel light. And warm, too."

"That's it?"

"Well, they're only pecks."

"You guys haven't deepened any of your kisses yet?"

Lucy blushed. "No. Is that weird?"

"It's not weird," Erza answered. "It'll happen when it happens. Natsu's probably just nervous and doesn't know what to do."

"Well the same goes for me!"

"Exactly. So you guys will get there when you get there. No rush."

Lucy nodded. To think that she had been having thoughts of going all the way with Natsu when they hadn't even deepened a kiss yet.

"Anyways, get ready," Erza announced, catching her attention.

"For what?" Lucy asked.

"Now that you two are finally together, I say it's time we go on a date. A quadruple date, that is." Erza went through the blonde's closet, grinning as she plucked out a familiar red dress. "This is the dress I bought you in case you ever went on a date. I'm glad I chose the color red since it's Natsu's favorite color."

"Wait, did you do that on purpose?"

"Perhaps. Just go put it on so that Juvia can do your hair."

Lucy nodded, beaming as she grabbed the dress. Even though a quadruple date wasn't something she thought she'd be into, she was excited to see Natsu. And she was even more excited to see his reaction to this dress.

It was a brighter shade of red, crimson to be exact. The short sleeves hung off of her shoulders, draping over her arms. The neckline wasn't as steep as her other dresses, so it didn't show off as much cleavage as she would've liked. To make up for it, the tulip-shape of the bottom showed off her shapely legs.

He was going to love it just as much as she did.

Walking out of the bathroom, Lucy grinned at her friends' whistles.

"That dress looks amazing on you!" Levy exclaimed. Looking down at her own chest, she continued with a pout, "I wish a dress like that suited me too."

Lucy nudged her, giving her a smile. "You pull off short, airy dresses better than anyone I know. Speaking of that, what are you guys going to wear? I don't want to be the only one dressed up!"

"You're right. I'm on it," Erza said, heading towards the door. "I'll be back. I want everyone's hair done by the time I get back."

The three other girls shared a look.

"We better hurry unless we want Erza to kill us."

"Yep."

* * *

It was roughly half an hour later when Erza returned, this time carrying a duffel bag.

"I've picked out my favorite dresses of the ones you own," she told Levy and Juvia. "I'm glad that everyone's hair is done. Juvia, would you mind doing mine as well?"

Lucy watched as Levy and Juvia dug into the bag and pulled out their dresses. It wasn't a surprise that Erza managed to return so quickly. After all, they apparently lived together, so getting the other girls' dresses shouldn't take long.

"Wait, do the guys even know that we're planning this?" Levy asked. "It'd be such a waste getting all dressed up just for them not to show up."

"I told them," Erza answered as Juvia curled her hair. "And Jellal is going to make sure that they are dressed in appropriate clothing for where we are going."

Lucy's eyes brightened as she clasped her hands together. As much as she loved Natsu's signature look, it was exciting to be able to see him more dressed up than usual. It was funny, she saw him in a miniskirt before ever seeing him in a suit, or even a button up shirt.

* * *

"I'm not wearing this," Natsu said as Jellal shoved a tie his way. The tie itself wasn't the problem, it was the whole ensemble. Natsu Dragneel did not wear suits.

"Me neither," Gray replied, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

The four boys were all in Natsu and Gray's room, Jellal trying to convince them to get ready for the date Erza told him about.

"I don't mind wearin' a suit. I wear them whenever I perform," Gajeel stated.

"You mean whenever you torture us with that shit you call music?" Natsu jibed.

Before a fight could break out, Jellal shoved the tie in Natsu's direction again.

"Just get dressed," he persisted.

"No way! I don't like wearin' suits! They're suffocating!"

"And I don't wanna go on this thing," Gajeel added. "A quadruple date sounds like a pain in the ass."

"Well, the eight of us are always hanging out anyways," Gray replied with a shrug. "But I don't see why we have to dress up this time."

"Fine," Jellal said, losing his patience. "Then I hope you all enjoy having Erza beat you to a pulp."

The three boys shared a glance before shrugging.

"We'll just have to deal with it," Gajeel said. Yeah, the redhead was scary. But dealing with her sounded easier than going to some fancy place all dressed up.

Jellal glared at them. "Alright, if Erza wasn't enough to bring you to your senses, then have fun disappointing all of your girlfriends and explaining to them why they don't deserve a proper date once in a while." This got the boys' attention, frowns spreading over all of their faces. "And just for the record, they are all getting ready right now, probably excited about this whole thing. But sure, let me just call Erza and tell her that you three aren't coming."

Veins ticked in the threes' foreheads before they tackled Jellal to the floor and snatched his phone away.

"Fine! We'll go!"

* * *

It was an hour later when Lucy heard a knock at the door. All of the girls were ready and it was finally time to go.

"That must be the boys," she said, heading towards the door. Swinging it open, she found them all dressed up in suits. Her gaze went past the others, landing immediately on Natsu. A pout tugged at his lips as he played with a cufflink on his denim-blue suit. It fit him just right. Underneath his signature scarf, she could see a tie neatly tucked underneath his suit jacket. It was striped with yellow and blue.

Natsu's eyes found hers, a grin spreading over his face. "Yo, Lucy! You ready to go?"

The girl nodded, her cheeks warm. Natsu always looked good no matter what he wore- even her own outfits. But this look was different. It was a fresh change from the opened vest and joggers. He looked downright hot.

The other boys greeted her before squeezing past her to meet up with the other girls. This gave Natsu a chance to see what she was wearing.

She felt confident. The dress fit her body perfectly, clinging to her curves and accentuating her figure. And it was a nice touch that the color just so happened to be his favorite. Even her hair was done perfectly, curled into loose waves.

And yet, as his eyes washed over her, she found that he didn't have the reaction she pictured. No blushing cheeks, no dropped jaws, nothing. It wasn't like that time on Halloween, either, when he tried to keep himself in check. He was simply unaffected.

Lucy pouted, crossing her arms.

"Everyone ready to go?" Erza asked. At everyone's cheers, they were out the door.

Erza had made a reservation at the fanciest restaurant in all of Magnolia. Lucy was surprised that she was able to book a reservation in such short time until the redhead had told her that Jellal had it in with the owner.

Reaching the restaurant, the hostess lit up seeing Jellal. She appeared around their age with straight silver hair that fell to her midback.

"Jellal! It's been a while! You haven't forgotten about us, I hope?" the hostess joked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Of course not, Angel," Jellal replied, smiling at her. "I've been busy with schoolwork."

"Oh right, I forgot you're doing that again."

" _Again?"_ Lucy wondered, resisting the urge to arch a brow as she felt the group's stares on her. Something was up.

Angel's eyes widened a fraction as her gaze landed on the blonde. She didn't know that they would be bringing a mortal with them. "Oh, uhh, I mean I forgot that some people choose to go to school again after high school. I don't know why anyone would."

"Some of us enjoy school," Jellal replied, going with her lie. "Anyways, we have a reservation."

"Oh, right! Right this way, _sir."_

"Are you still liking your job?"

"Yeah. It's way better than the alternative, you know? This is better for all of us."

"Well, I'm glad you are all enjoying life to the fullest," Jellal said, smiling at the girl as she brought them to their table. It was away from the other customers, just as they had requested.

"We are," Angel replied. She glanced to the others, grinning at them all. "Nice to see you guys again." Then her gaze landed on Lucy, her eyes narrowing into a glare. With that, she walked back to the front of the restaurant.

Lucy turned to Levy. "Was I the only one that saw that glare at the end?"

"I apologize about that," Jellal replied. "Angel doesn't like people she doesn't know."

"Ehh, it's fine I guess."

With that, the conversation broke off into different groups. Lucy turned to Natsu, admiring the way his jacket sleeves were a bit tight around his biceps.

"I never would've guessed you own a suit," she said, nudging him.

Natsu shrugged, tugging at his scarf. "Yeah, Erza said I have to own at least one and made me get this a while back. I hate it. It's suffocating."

"Looks nice though."

Natsu glanced at her, his eyes landing on her dress. Her breath hitched in her throat, waiting for him to finally compliment her. To her disappointment, he looked back to the menu without a word.

A huff escaped her as she rested her chin on the palm of her hand.

" _Just one friggin' compliment would be nice!"_

Gray sighed, watching the interaction between the two. After finding out that they were dating, he was relieved. Though he refused to admit it, Natsu was his closest friend, he wanted him to be happy. The same went for Lucy. Their feelings for each other were obvious, it was only a matter of time before they finally realized it. And now that they did, Natsu was too oblivious to notice Lucy's annoyed behavior.

"Lucy," he called out, "you look good." Knowing that Juvia was going to get jealous if he didn't do something, he grabbed her hand under the table, giving it an assuring squeeze. He hoped Natsu got the hint.

"Thank you, Gray!" Lucy replied, a bright grin spreading over her face. She turned towards Natsu, waiting for him to chime in. She nearly groaned in frustration finding that he wasn't even paying attention.

It didn't take long for their waiter to come and take their order. With his tanned skin, maroon hair, and toned body, Lucy was sure that their waiter was popular among female customers.

"Yo, Jellal," he replied.

Lucy whipped her head between the two of them. " _Jellal knows this guy too?"_

 _"_ Cobra, it's nice to see you're doing well," Jellal replied, nodding his head towards the other boy with a smile.

"Same goes for you," Cobra replied. He then took everyone else's orders before his gaze landed on Lucy. The pleasant smile from before vanished, leaving a void expression in its wake. Lucy ignored the weird behavior, giving him her order. He left, but not without clicking his tongue in annoyance first.

Lucy scoffed at the boy's retreating form.

"Okay, is there something on my face?" she asked. "Or did I just not get the memo that it's Be-Rude-To-Blondes Day?"

"I'm sorry about him too," Jellal said with a frown. "He's like Angel. He isn't-"

"Comfortable with people he doesn't know. Got it."

Lucy picked up her glass of water and swirled it around, watching the ice cubes clank against the rim of the glass. So far, their group date was a disaster. Her boyfriend hadn't complimented her in her dress and the staff was full of assholes.

Natsu watched as Lucy glumly swirled her drink. He was annoyed with Cobra and Angel for being rude to her, but he understood. They were all in the same boat as Erza and Jellal, taken by the same scientists and held prisoner for decades. Their hatred for mortals was understandable.

"Don't let him get to you," Natsu said, nudging Lucy.

The girl rolled her eyes at him. "You try having people be rude to you for no good reason."

"Lucy. I have pink hair. I've dealt with assholes being rude to me for no good reason my whole life."

She turned towards him, a smile ghosting her lips. "Alright, I guess you have a point."

"Exactly," he replied, ruffling her hair.

"Ack! Don't mess up the curls!"

"Oh, my bad."

Once Cobra returned with the food, he set the plates in front of them. Natsu watched as Lucy glanced down at her dress, avoiding eye contact with the waiter. Before Cobra could go back to the kitchen, Natsu called out to him.

"Yo, Cobra, this is my girlfriend Lucy," he said, slinging an arm around the girl's shoulder and giving their waiter a face-splitting grin.

Cobra's eyes widened, his eyes flickering between the two of them. "Y-You're dating a-"

"A blonde, yes. And I know you've had some issues with blondes in the past, but Lucy is different. So quit bein' a jerk to her, alright?"

Cobra shut his mouth, staring at Lucy. Reluctantly, he nodded, heading back to the kitchen.

Lucy arched a brow, looking to her boyfriend who was busy scarfing down his food.

"He hates blondes?" she asked.

Natsu ignored her, not wanting to lie directly to her to uphold their agreement.

* * *

As everyone finished up their food, Cobra came back with their checks. Before Lucy could grab hers, Natsu snatched it away, insisting that he'd cover this one.

"No sense in you paying when they were jackasses to you the whole time," he explained. "Besides, this is a date."

"Okay, but I get to pay next time," Lucy replied.

"Oh, then I'll make sure to order a lot!" Natsu exclaimed, followed by a mischievous laugh.

"I'm so going to kill you."

After paying, the group headed towards the exit. The staff waved goodbye to Jellal and the others, urging them to visit soon.

"I suppose this is where we part," Erza stated once they left the restaurant. The air was cold against her skin. Jellal, being the gentleman he is, took off his jacket and draped it over the redhead's shoulders.

"Sounds good," Lucy replied. "I'll see everyone at Fairy Tail tomorrow?"

"Not me, I have work," Levy answered. "But I'll see you in class."

"Okay. Bye, everyone!"

The group broke off into separate paths, Natsu and Lucy going one way while the rest went the other. This didn't go unnoticed by Lucy.

Looking over her shoulder to make sure they were out of earshot, she glanced up at him as they walked back to her apartment.

"So, those guys in the restaurant," she started, lacing her fingers with his, "you know them?"

"Yeah, I do," Natsu answered, shoving his unoccupied hand into his pocket. "They're mainly Jellal's friends, so I kinda just know them by association."

"Well, thank you for sticking up for me. Means a lot."

Natsu nudged her, giving her a grin. "Don't mention it, weirdo. You're my girlfriend, of course I'm gonna stick up for you. Hell, even if you weren't my girlfriend."

"Believe me, I know. I'll never forget you punching that asshole at the other restaurant we went to."

"Don't remind me or else I'm just gonna go punch him again."

A laugh slipped past her lips, her head craning back to look at the starry sky. "Hey, Natsu. Was this whole thing really about me being a blonde?"

"No."

"What was it really about?"

"Can't say."

Lucy squeezed his hand, shrugging her shoulders. "That's okay. Let's get home already. I haven't really broken into these heels yet so they are digging into the back of my heel. The sooner we get home, the sooner I can take them off."

"Walk faster then, weirdo."

"You know, you could carry me."

"Why the hell would I carry you?"

"Because you love me."

Natsu stopped in his tracks, prompting her to stop as well. Lucy's face went up in flames as she thought about what she had just said. Slapping a hand over her mouth, she turned to face her boyfriend and find his reaction.

"Love?" Natsu repeated, arching a brow. "I don't remember us telling each other that we love each other."

"W-Well, I meant it as a friend! You know, in a friendly way!" Lucy lied, praying he would drop it. She was _not_ going to be the first one to drop the l-word, especially so soon into their relationship where he might not feel the same yet.

"Oh really?" Natsu asked, leaning towards her with his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Because I don't think that's what you meant."

"I think I would know what I meant."

"Really, Luce?"

"Look, can we just go home already? My feet are killing me." She turned to walk away when Natsu pulled her back.

"I love you," he said. His voice was steady, his face void of any playfulness or deceit. He was serious.

Warmth traveled through her entire body, her brain short-circuiting at those simple words. Such a simple sentence comprised of only three words held such a deeper meaning behind them, filling her with feelings she'd never known before. And suddenly, with three words, everything became clear.

"I love you too," Lucy replied, her voice hushed.

In the blink of an eye, all of the seriousness in Natsu's face transformed into a large, face-splitting grin.

"Good," he said. His heart was thumping wildly his chest, his body feeling hotter than fire. "Well? Let's get you home!"

"Wait. Can we try something really quick?"

"What is it?"

"K-Kiss."

Natsu cocked his head to the side. "We've kissed already. More than once."

"I-I know," Lucy replied, shyly poking her fingers together while averting her gaze. "I meant a different kind of kiss. You know, like the ones we see in the movies."

Natsu swallowed thickly, his cheeks matching his hair. "Oh, uhh, okay. Yeah, let's do it."

Lucy stepped closer to him. She hoped he would take the lead, but she knew better than most that the boy could be pretty shy himself when it came to some things.

"Just a heads up, I haven't done this before," she said. "So I'll probably suck."

"Then the same goes for me, weirdo."

Lucy nodded, shyly snaking her arms around his neck. Her eyes flickered towards his lips, her own twitching into an amused smile as she watched him lick his lips. Ignoring her racing heart, she leaned towards him, her eyes starting to droop closed. Before they closed, she saw him lean in as well.

Their lips brushed against each other softly, starting as one of their normal, innocent pecks. Throwing caution to the wind, Lucy parted her lips, urging Natsu to do the same. He followed her lead, allowing her to mold her lips with his.

Their movements were sloppy at first, but it was reassuring to know that they were each other's firsts. They found their own rhythm quickly, their lips washing over each other smoothly. Lucy was pleasantly surprised to find that Natsu's mouth was warm against hers.

They only broke apart to catch their breath, their faces flushed with heat as they panted.

"How was it?" Natsu asked, peering into her brown orbs. He ducked his face behind his scarf to hide his blush, along with the prideful smirk growing over his face at the hazy look she was giving him.

"G-Good!"

"Good. Let's go home." His eyes glazed over her, admiring the way her dress flattered her curves. "You look really hot by the way."

"I've been waiting to hear you say that!" Lucy exclaimed. She planted her hands on her hips. "Sheesh, I was starting to think that the dress wasn't a good fit for me!"

"What? 'Course it's a good fit, weirdo."

"Then why did it take you so long to say something? Hell, even Gray said something before you!"

"Because the others were there! I wasn't gonna say something in front of them! They've been teasing me enough today as it is now that they found out we're dating!"

"Alright, fine. As long as you think I look good."

Natsu eyed her again, his tongue darting out and wetting his lips again. "Really good."

"L-Let's just get home," Lucy replied, ignoring the sensation that was building up within the pit of her stomach.

Natsu nodded, lacing their fingers together once again. He glanced towards his girlfriend, admiring the way the moonlight washed over her features. Even in the night, her eyes shined brightly. He loved this girl with every fiber of his being, and he now knew she felt the same. Despite having an endless life, he was more sure than anything that he would never forget this night.

* * *

 **AN:** So, what do you think is the full story with Cobra and the others? :D

Thank you to those who reviewed: **triiv, Guest, KatanaNoNeko, Kylnee, KJacket, Rein Serenity, itsxoi, shootingstarssel, Nalulove, Soul Eater Maka, Doginshoe, Cher, Prettypinkkitty55, Jernfer, stranger1999, Guest, Bakers28, MasterGildarts, Anna5949, savwafair, valerioux, Lucy, actosanctum, ToukaKanekiUlle, CathJorda, SilverPowder, Lucy heartfilia, Guest, Densolator, NaLuAlways26, MillennialStargazer, HelloIamTrash, KYAAAA, KarinStalker24, kuro02, Guest, nosserate, Vixenbleu, Weevilcat, Alexa60765, Guest, Duchixx, Guest74, Guest, Forever Nalu, PinkButterFrog, Sassybratt, GothBanshee, sxkurajima, Mandapandaa, Mannyegb, Kanata-Sama, sugarpolis, Starstruck-MJ, RedViolet11.**


	21. Chapter 21

**AN:** Hello, sorry about the wait. This chapter was kicking my ass. But, I can officially say how many chapters this story is going to have! :D Unless I end up squishing some chapters together, but for now, the story is planned to have 52 chapters! Also, please be patient with the reveal. I know that everyone wants it to happen already, but there's a reason it happens when it does. I'm not dragging it out to the end of the story lmao. To me it's happening soon because I know what chapter it is, but to you guys who have to wait for updates, it probably seems like it is taking a while. Just be patient with me, it'll be worth it I promise!

* * *

Chapter 21

Excited

"Good morning, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted as she entered the classroom while Jellal tipped his head forward in his normal, silent acknowledgement.

"Good morning, guys," Lucy replied, taking her seat. She couldn't even pull out her writing journal before Levy began to bombard her with questions, all of them pertaining to her relationship with Natsu.

"How are you and Natsu? Did you do anything fun last night?"

"You really don't have to ask that every time we see each other, you know? We're good. In fact, we're better than good!" Lucy's cheeks tinged pink as she confessed, "We told each other that we love each other last night!"

"Really!?" Levy squealed, oblivious to the curious glances she received from their puzzled classmates. "Everyone knew you guys felt that way, but it's nice to know you guys are aware of it now too!"

Lucy nodded in agreement. She glanced past Levy at Jellal, who was listening with a pleasant smile on his face. What she was going to say next was embarrassing with the boy there, but she really had to get it out of her and at least his quiet demeanor made it a little better.

"We finally had one of those deep kisses like in the movies," she said, her voice lowered so that nobody else in their class could hear her.

Levy's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really? How was it?"

"Amazing," Lucy said, followed by a dreamy sigh. "We were a little confused at first since we hadn't done it before, but we picked it up quickly. And… I think we're going to take it even further soon." She watched the pair's eyes grow, a blush slowly appearing on their faces.

"Like… All the way?" Levy whispered, turning her head to make sure nobody else was listening.

Lucy nodded frantically. She covered her face with her hands, peeking between her fingers to look at the two. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Why would that make you a bad person?"

"Well, we are moving pretty fast…"

"Are you asking me if it'll make you a slut? Because first off, it wouldn't. And second of all, who cares if it did? As long as you're both happy, who cares what anybody else thinks?"

"I agree with Levy," Jellal chimed in. "Every relationship moves at its own pace."

"Right. Gajeel and I had sex before we even got together." Usually she would be too embarrassed to talk about her sex life, but her friend needed help.

"As did Erza and I."

"And Gray and Juvia had sex months after getting together. We're all different. You just need to focus on your relationship, not what other people think," Levy said.

"You're right," Lucy agreed, nodding her head. "Who knows, maybe Natsu doesn't even want to do that sort of stuff yet anyways. I was just assuming based on how fast we took everything else."

"But _you_ want to?" the blue-headed girl questioned, wiggling her eyebrows skillfully.

Lucy flushed, averting her gaze. "W-Well yeah. I can't help it!"

"I know, I know. I'm just teasing you, Lu-chan! When you do, just make sure you tell me so we can talk all about it!"

Lucy snorted, rolling her eyes. Her voice was laced with sarcasm as she replied, "Yeah, I'll make sure to call you right away."

"Good. Anyways, what are you doing on December 1st?"

"I'm not sure yet. Why?"

"Right before you got here, Jellal and I were talking about how to spend his birthday, which is on December 1st. It won't be during break, so try to make sure you're free!"

"Oh, that's awesome!" Lucy gushed, glancing at Jellal. "You'll be turning twenty-two, right?"

"That's correct," the boy answered. " _Give or take a few decades."_

"What are you planning for it?"

"Nothing much," Jellal said with a shrug. "Just spending the day at Fairy Tail."

"Erza was going to plan a surprise party," Levy informed her. "But every year, Jellal always manages to find out about it. He already found out about Erza's plans before she could even make reservations."

Lucy pictured an angry Erza having her plans for a surprise party foiled. Sweat dripped down her forehead. "She must get angry."

"Oh, she does. Trust me, it's not pretty. After Jellal busted her, she decided to let him choose what we do."

"Well now that you guys have me, we'll make sure to surprise you next year, Jellal!"

"I am looking forward to it," he replied.

Before she could reply, Capricorn entered the room, signaling the start of class. The class fell quiet, not out of fear of their professor like students did with Aquarius, but out of respect towards him. He had an aura about him that made everyone respect him and give him their full attention.

"Good morning, class," Capricorn greeted, pulling out the class materials for the day. "As you know, the quarter is coming to an end soon, which means finals are approaching. Instead of giving a test, I will be giving a final project. All of you must write your own stories. Ten chapters, five thousand words each."

"Is there a prompt?" some student in the back asked.

"No. There are no rules to the genre or rating, you have complete freedom of that. However, I am looking for a sense of difficulty. I want all of you to really challenge yourselves with this assignment. Whether it is a complicated timeline, a subject you've never breached, anything that I know is out of your comfort zone. And of course, I expect perfect grammar. No plot holes, please."

Lucy grinned, her head already coming up with different ideas. She was going to knock this assignment out of the park.

* * *

Once class was dismissed, Lucy shoved her things into her bag, heading out the door beside her friends. As usual, Natsu was waiting for her outside of the room, his lips stretching into a grin the moment he saw her.

"Yo, Luce!" he greeted with a wave.

"Hi, Natsu," she replied. Turning to Levy and Jellal, she said, "I'll see you guys next time in class."

The two waved goodbye before heading towards their next class, their steps hastened out of fear of having a marker chucked at them courtesy of Aquarius if they were late.

Reaching their class, they took their seats in the back by Gray, who greeted Lucy with a nod of his head.

"Hey, Lucy," the boy said.

"Hi, Gray! Finals are coming up. You ready?"

"Guess so. I'm pretty good in all my subjects this quarter so I should be fine. What about you?"

Lucy shrugged. "I'm feeling pretty confident. Though, I should take some extra time to study for Chemistry."

"Want me to help you? I can come over later and we can go over the review packet."

Natsu's lips curled downwards into an annoyed frown. Even though he trusted the two of them, the thought of them alone in Lucy's apartment still irked him. And why did she need tutoring anyways? It wasn't like she had bad grades.

"Don't you have an A in that class?" Natsu asked her.

"A minus," the girl answered. "Which is still amazing, don't get me wrong. But if I can try to do better, why not?"

"Then I'll tutor you!" Natsu suggested, pointing to himself with a wide grin. "I'm awesome at science!"

Lucy nodded, remembering Erza telling her that before. "Alright then. But no goofing off!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

* * *

As class ended, Lucy and Natsu packed their things before heading out. Gray walked with them until their paths split, the couple heading towards Lucy's apartment while he went to Fairy Tail.

They reached her apartment quickly, dropping their bags on the couch. Shivers ran up and down Lucy's body as she hugged herself. It was colder inside than it was outside! Checking the thermostat, the girl turned the dial up and waited for the room to heat up.

"I think your heater is broken," Natsu stated. "Usually it makes a humming noise when it's on."

"Oh no!" Lucy cried, hugging herself even tighter. Her teeth chattered as another shiver ran up her spine. "I hate the cold!"

"Luce, I hate to break it to ya, but you don't exactly dress for the weather."

The girl looked down at herself. She was adorned in a thin, tight fitting shirt and a black skirt in the middle of winter. "Alright, I guess you have a point."

Natsu nodded, his gaze falling from her eyes down to her chest. Thanks to the cold temperature and the thinness of her shirt, he could easily make out her nipples, which were growing erect underneath the fabric. His tongue slid over his lips.

"I'm going to change into warmer clothes really quick," Lucy said, snapping his attention back to her face. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," he replied, taking one last glance at her chest while he could still see the hardened peaks underneath her shirt. He wished he could see them without the shirt.

One Lucy returned, this time dressed in fluffy pajama pants and one of his sweatshirts- he had tried to take it back before but she had apparently called dibs on it- she unzipped her bag and grabbed her school stuff. "Alright, let's start!"

Natsu caught her hand. "Wait! Shouldn't we eat first? I'm starving!"

She rolled her eyes. Her stomach then decided to betray her by grumbling loud. "Fine. But after that we're studying!"

"Of course!"

Natsu followed Lucy into the kitchen, watching as she bent over to pick up a plastic container from a cupboard. His eyes glazed over her shapely rear. Even in her pajama pants, her curves were apparent. He swallowed thickly, his heart beating faster in excitement. His fingers itched out to drag along her curves and to rip away the fabric that covered her skin.

But as Lucy turned back around to face him, he forced a nonchalant expression to his face and tore his eyes away from her bum. He watched as she filled the container with some strawberries and grabbed a can of whipped cream.

"I want to finish these before they go bad," she explained, leading the way back to the couch.

They sat in a content silence as they munched on the fruit. Lucy sprayed some of the whipped cream next to the strawberries. Natsu watched as she grabbed a strawberry, dunked it in cream, and plopped it on her mouth.

A tingling sensation erupted between his legs as he watched Lucy stick her finger into her mouth and suck on some of the white cream that touched her skin.

Lucy glanced towards Natsu. She arched a brow. His face was pale and dotted with sweat as he stared back at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"N-Nothing," he choked out in reply. "A-Anyways, ready to study?"

She gave him a puzzled look. "I didn't think you'd be so quick to want to study. I thought you were starving."

"…I think I might be hungry for something else."

"Did you want me to make you something?"

"No, no! Let's just study, alright?"

Lucy shrugged, pushing away the strawberries and grabbing her binder for Chemistry. Pulling out a review packet full of things that were going to be on the test, she handed it over to Natsu for him to skim it over.

"Are you familiar with this kind of stuff?" she asked.

Natsu didn't even need to flip through the packet to know that he knew everything. Being an immortal and having to retake classes came in handy sometimes. That, and he'd always been good at science thanks to his interest in pyrotechnics. Before he found out he was an immortal, he wanted to explore it as a career. But just like it did with everything else, immortality took that dream away from him.

"Yeah, I'm familiar with it," Natsu finally answered.

Lucy studied him, noticing the strange gleam in his eyes. He wore a smile on his face, but there wasn't an ounce of happiness in it. It was empty.

"…Okay," Lucy said, not knowing what else to say. It was clear that he was upset, but she didn't have a clue as to why. Instead of pressuring him to talk about it, she was going to wait patiently for him to open up to her. "So, why don't we start? I'll answer the questions and you can correct me if I'm wrong."

"Sounds good," Natsu replied, leaning back with a grin.

Lucy began to answer all of the questions. The first section was memorization of the periodic table, which she had mastered. The next was formulas, which was a bit more challenging. She went through the packet, taking over half an hour to finish before handing it over to Natsu.

She watched as he skimmed through her answers, circling those that were wrong- which weren't much, thankfully. Her eyes traveled from the red pen in his hand up to his arms. They were tan, and even though his muscles weren't flexed at the moment, she could still admire the toned shape of them.

Lucy swallowed thickly, the area between her thighs starting to tingle. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips as she continued to ogle him, which went unnoticed by the boy.

Natsu corrected the last page before closing the packet and handing it back to Lucy. He arched a brow, noticing the pink hue of her cheeks.

"You good?" he asked.

Lucy snapped out her trance. Her voice was squeaky as she answered, "Yep! All good! Let's go over this!"

As they went through the packet together, Natsu explained why Lucy got certain problems wrong. They went through step-by-step to reach the correct solution, though Lucy's mind was elsewhere.

Drool was practically dripping down her chin as she stared at Natsu again. This time, her eyes were glued to his abs, which were exposed due to his strange choice of clothes. Seriously, how did he of all people manage to have abs that were chiseled by the gods? The boy ate like a beast! And sure, he worked out more than she did, but not enough to excuse his deranged appetite!

"Did you get that?" she heard Natsu's voice call out to her.

Snapping her gaze up to meet his, she nodded. "Yep. Got it." However, every word fell on deaf ears. She really should have studied with Gray instead. She would have actually been studying with him rather than imagining all the places she could kiss him. " _Note to self, never try to study with your boyfriend."_

Natsu cocked his head to the side as he studied Lucy. The girl was weird. This he had known since the day he met her. But she was acting even stranger than usual.

"Are you sick or something?" Natsu asked.

Lucy shook her head. "Why would I be sick?"

"Because your face is all red and you seem pretty out of it."

"Oh! Maybe I am sick then!"

Natsu squinted his eyes at the girl. She'd always been a terrible liar. "No you aren't. What's goin' on, Lucy? Why're you acting weirder than normal?"

"I'm not!"

"Luuucy! Just tell me already!"

The girl looked away, the pink in her cheeks turning to a deep red. "A-Alright, fine. I guess…" Feeling embarrassed, she mumbled, "I want a kiss."

"What?"

"I want a kiss! Okay?"

Natsu's cheeks puffed out as he stifled a laugh. "That's it? That's why you've been actin' weird?"

"Shut up," Lucy replied, crossing her arms.

"Come here," Natsu said with a grin. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her closer to him and crashed his lips upon hers, leaving her breathless. Her hand went limp in his hold as their lips washed together in perfect harmony.

Feeling braver now, Lucy moved herself onto his lap, all the while keeping her lips on his. She straddled him, tilting her head to the side as she deepened the kiss. His body was warm against hers. Hard, too.

Caught in the moment, Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck and pulled him closer to her. With newfound curiosity, the girl slid her tongue against his lips, asking for permission to be let in. She felt him tense against her, probably unsure as to what to do, but he got the hint and let his mouth part for her tongue to enter.

Their tongues found each other instantly, washing against the other fervently. His mouth was warm, just like the rest of him. She took her time exploring every inch of his mouth while he did the same to her.

His mouth wasn't all she wanted to explore, and in that moment of sharing passionate kisses, Lucy found herself drowning in all of Natsu. Her hands traveled from his hair down to his abs, tracing over the indentations of each one, down to the hem of his pants. She felt his body grow rigid against her. She stopped and pulled away, her face red with heat.

"I'm sorry," she breathed out. She found herself panting after all of that.

"It's okay," Natsu replied. His cheeks were just as red as hers. He felt his body tingle, a sign that he was about to grow hard if pushed any further.

"I guess I got ahead of myself."

"I-I don't mind if you don't."

Lucy's eyes darted towards his. "You don't?"

He shook his head quickly. "Nope. If anything, I've been dying to do this."

"…So, I can keep going?"

He nodded, his blush deepening. He hoped he didn't come off as desperate, but in truth, he was desperate for her touch. Only hers. "Yeah, but only if you want to."

"Okay then," Lucy replied. "H-How far?"

Natsu swallowed thickly. "As far as you want."

Lucy nodded, her eyes darting towards his lips. Knowing that he was on the same page as her, she leaned forward and planted her lips over his once again. She waited for them to find their rhythm before she allowed her hands to travel down to his abs again. She loved the feel of his warm skin against her fingertips.

Lucy cocked her head to the side as Natsu's lips washed over her neck, sucking on the flesh. His sharp teeth lightly dragged over her skin. Her eyes rolled back in her head, her mouth parting as she took in the pleasure that racked her body just from those simple kisses.

They were magical. They were addictive. They were everything she needed.

She grabbed Natsu's coat and slid it off his shoulders. Her hands glazed over his biceps, squeezing the muscle beneath her fingers. She went to move her hands and explore more of him when she felt something hard beneath her.

Lucy pulled away from him, her cheeks set ablaze.

"Is that…" she began.

Horror etched Natsu's features as he glanced away, embarrassed. "Y-Yeah. I'm sorry, I couldn't hold back anymore."

Lucy grabbed his cheeks and forced him to face her before crashing her lips against his.

"Don't be sorry," she said, her voice low and sultry. Lust pooled her brown orbs. "And you don't have to hold back."

Natsu nodded slowly, the gleam in Lucy's eyes putting him in a trance. He brushed some golden strands out of her face, cupping her cheek before pulling her in for another kiss. No longer ashamed of his body's natural reaction, he allowed himself to fall back in the direction they were previously headed in.

Since Lucy had helped herself to feeling his body, he decided to do the same. His fingers grazed her shoulders, tracing gently down to her breasts. He felt her release a shaky breath against his lips as he dragged a finger over one of the mounds, right over her nipple. Even underneath the thick sweater, he could feel the hardened nub.

His teeth gnawed on her lower lip as he squeezed her breasts in his hands. He'd been dying to do that for so long, and it was everything he dreamed of and more. Even though he kept his hands strictly above fabric- he wouldn't delve beneath until he knew Lucy was okay with it- his heart began to thump wildly nonetheless.

Electricity shot through his body, coursing through his veins as Lucy melted into his touch. A soft exhale slipped past her lips, her head hanging back. Natsu squeezed them harder, smoothing his thumb over her peaks as he did.

Lucy couldn't take it anymore. Her brain felt like it was short-circuiting. All she knew was she wanted more. Grabbing his hand, she led it to the hem of her sweater and dragged it beneath the fabric, against her skin up to her bare breast.

Natsu swallowed thickly, his cock twitching in excitement as his hands massaged Lucy's breasts. They were warm in his hands, larger than he expected as they spilled past his fingers. He knew they were big, but he didn't know how big they were until he held them.

As he smoothed his thumb over her nipple, he clenched his jaw as Lucy grinded against him. The friction between them was amazing, and he wanted nothing more than to rip her clothes off and feel her flesh against his.

He was about to kiss the shell of her ear when her phone suddenly started playing its chime, loud enough to startle them both. They pulled away from each other, their faces flushed and dotted with sweat. Their eyes were half-lidded.

Lucy nearly cursed as she sent her phone a deadly glare. It hadn't stopped ringing yet, and she was about to give whoever was calling an earful for interrupting them.

"You should go check it," Natsu said, holding his hands up in surrender when she turned her glare onto him. "Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoyin' this too, but it could be important." His eyes lingered on her chest. "We could always finish this after."

Lucy sighed, knowing he was right. Getting off of him, she let her gaze land on his lap to study the bulge within his pants. A proud smirk appeared on her face, happy that she was able to have such an effect on him.

Heading over to the dining table to grab her phone, she picked it up and turned it over to look at the screen. Her eyes went wide, her jaw dropping on its hinges as she found it wasn't someone calling. It was a reminder.

A frown graced her lips as she clutched her phone tightly to her chest.

" _That's right. It's about that time."_

Releasing a shaky breath, the girl placed her phone back on the table.

"Lucy? Are you okay?" she heard Natsu call out to her.

Facing him, she feigned a smile. He was going to have to find out about this sooner or later. Might as well tell him now.

"Yeah, it wasn't a call," she told him. "It was a reminder."

"A reminder for what?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he raised a brow at her.

"For a trip I'm taking," Lucy answered, rubbing the back of her head with a chuckle.

"A trip? Where are you going?" A frown spread over the boy's face as he got up from the couch to stand by her. "Is everything okay, Lucy?"

"Yeah! Everything is fine! I just need to go home for a few days."

"Oh, for your dad? I thought that was during the break."

"It is. This is a different trip."

"What's it for?"

Lucy averted her gaze. In truth, her first parents' anniversary was coming up, and she made sure to set out to visit their graves at least once during their anniversary every life time. But it wasn't like she could tell Natsu that. She already made it clear she hated her father of this life.

"I'm visiting my mom's grave," she finally said, still unable to meet his gaze. "The anniversary of her death is coming up." It wasn't a complete lie. She was going to see her mother's grave for her anniversary, just not that one.

Natsu eyed her for a moment before shaking his head. Lucy was never a good liar, even now. He could read her like an open book. His gaze was hard as he stared at her. "Lucy, I promised not to lie to you anymore. You need to do the same for me. You don't have to tell me what it is you're doing, but you don't have to lie to me either."

Lucy sighed, guiltily meeting his gaze. "I know. You're right. I'm sorry that I lied to you."

"It's alright."

"I would tell you if I could. But I'm not… I'm not ready."

"That's okay," Natsu assured, ruffling her hair and giving her a grin. "If you're ever ready, you know where to find me."

"Yeah, in _my_ apartment since you're always breaking in," Lucy replied, nudging him playfully.

"Yep! Eatin' your food while I'm at it!"

A laugh slipped past her lips. She grabbed his hands and smiled up at him. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"Don't mention it," Natsu replied, giving her hands a squeeze. "You'd do the same for me. So, when's this trip of yours?"

"Oh, I haven't booked it yet. But I'm going to try to get a flight for the second."

"Of December?"

"Yeah," Lucy answered, nodding her head. "I know Jellal's birthday is on the first, so I want to be here to celebrate, and the second is the latest I can leave since I have to be there for the third."

"It takes that long to get there?" Natsu asked.

"Well, it's an eight-hour flight from here. I'm going to the opposite side of Fiore."

"Wow. Whatever you're doin' must be important. Want me to come with you? I'll be a mess on the flight, but I can still keep you company."

"It is important. And thank you for the offer, really. But I have to go alone." Even though nobody would recognize her in her first hometown, it was still risky to bring someone else there. "I'll make sure to bring back a souvenir for you!"

Natsu frowned, still wary of her traveling alone. "Alright. Better be a good one!"

"Hey! You should just be glad I'm getting you something in the first place!"

Now that their mood from earlier was gone, Natsu glanced back at the coffee table littered with Lucy's school stuff.

"So, did you ever hear a thing I was saying earlier 'bout your review packet or were you too busy starin' at me?" Natsu teased with a smirk glued to his face.

Lucy smacked his chest, her cheeks turning pink. "Shut up! Let's just study already!"

"So you _didn't_ listen to a single thing I said because you were starin' at me. Sheesh, get your mind outta the gutter, Lucy! I was only tryna tutor you!"

"I will kill you."

As the two sat back down on the couch, Natsu teasing Lucy with his relentless jokes, they eventually got back into studying, this time actually studying. Still, somewhere deep in their minds, they knew that their relationship was headed towards a new adventure, and both of them couldn't wait to experience it.

* * *

 **AN:** Hope you guys liked the steaminess of the chapter. ;) Also, for most of this story, it's been the immortals with the slipups. It's time to switch things around from here on out. ;D

And as always, a huge thank you to the wonderful and amazing reviewers: **Guest, Weevilcat, itsxoi, Doginshoe, KatanaNoNeko, nosserate, shootingstarssel, stranger1999, Rein Serenity, valerioux, Cher, Guest, Guest, KarinStalker24, Anna5949, CathJorda, Kylnee, Lucy, MillennialStargazer, NaLuAlways26, Alexa60765, XxCelestialPrincessxX, Mandapandaa, rigaryuna, MasterGildarts, Starstruck-MJ, Azure Dragon, PinkButterFrog, FairyRains, Firefly9917, Guest, PrincessEmag, SANA, Nice story, Vixenbleu, Forever Nalu, Duchixx, Kaycha, Guest, ToukaKanekiUlle, peaspaws, sxkurajima, Nalulove, beefcakebarbierenewed, Soul Eater Maka.**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN:** Who's ready for some real steaminess up in here? ;)

* * *

Chapter 22

Closer

As sunlight filtered through the cracks of her curtains, Lucy's eyes slowly began to blink open. She was met with Natsu's sleeping face, as she did nearly every morning. The corners of her lips tugged upwards into a smile. Her eyes washed over his features, admiring how peaceful he appeared. With his bangs flattened against his forehead, his mouth parted slightly, and his body relaxed, one would never have guessed that he was actually the world's most rambunctious, mischievous boy.

And Lucy loved those things about him.

Lightly dragging her finger over Natsu's cheek, she waited for him to stir. Soon enough, he was cracking a yawn before opening his eyes, squinting at her.

"Good morning," Lucy said, smiling at him.

He smiled back at her. Both were laying on their sides, facing each other. Natsu rested his hand on Lucy's thigh, giving it a squeeze.

"Morning," he replied.

"What are your plans for today?"

Natsu pulled her closer to him, their chests flushed against each other. "I wanna stay like this a little longer."

Lucy wrapped her arms around him, giving him a quick peck. "Okay, but not for too long. I have to work on my final today, which means I need you out."

"You know, you don't hafta kick me out every time you write."

"I do, actually, because if I don't, you're going to try to read it."

"Then just let me!"

"Nope. Not happening."

"But Luuucy-!"

"No buts!" Lucy interrupted, sitting up. She swung her legs off the side of the bed, glancing back at him over her shoulder. "You can come back later. But until I'm done writing, you're going to have to find something to do."

Natsu sat up, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "But it's Saturday! I wanna hang out with you!"

"And we will. Later tonight." She got out of bed, raising her arms in a stretch. Bending over, she picked up Natsu's shirt, which he had thrown to the floor last night as he preferred sleeping shirtless. She tossed it to him. "Now hurry up and get dressed."

Natsu got out of bed and stood in front of her. Snaking his hands around her waist, he gave her a coy grin. "We could do something else. Since we never got to finish last night."

Lucy felt her heart thrash around her ribcage as a familiar tingling sensation appeared between her legs. Her eyes peered down at his torso, admiring the indentations of his abs. It was a tempting offer.

"Nope," Lucy finally said, tearing her gaze away from his abs to meet his eyes. "I need to write ten chapters, all of them having five-thousand words. I need to start as soon as possible. And I'm actually inspired to write, so I can't just pass it up. But…" She slid one of her hands down to the hem of his pants, sliding a finger underneath. Her voice was sultry as she continued, "I'll make the wait worth it."

Natsu swallowed thickly, feeling himself growing beneath his joggers. "O-Okay."

"Good. So I'll see you later?"

The boy threw on his shirt and grabbed some of his things. "Yeah, let me know when I'm allowed back."

"Will do." They shared a quick peck before Natsu headed towards the door. "Oh, and Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Bring a condom."

Lucy had to stifle a laugh, watching his cheeks turn bright red. With that, he was practically rushing out the door.

Lucy sat at her desk pulling, out her journal so she could get to work.

" _Hmm. Though now all I want to work on is that smut story."_

* * *

The moment Natsu got home, he jumped straight in the shower. This time, he took extra care to make sure he scrubbed every inch of his body. He needed to be squeaky clean for his plans with Lucy later that day.

Once he was finished, Natsu stared down at his hands with a look of disgust. They were all wrinkly from being in the shower too long. He wondered how Lucy could handle it.

He finished freshening up, taking extra care of his appearance and hygiene that day. He used extra mouthwash, he actually brushed through his hair, and he chose a set of clothes that he didn't typically wear: a pair of black jeans and a button up grey shirt.

Stepping out the bathroom, he found Gray sitting on his bed. It had been a while since they were both in their room at the same time. Usually, they could be found at their girlfriends' places.

Gray looked him over. "Why're you dressin' like that?"

"None of your business," Natsu replied, grabbing his wallet and shoving it in his pockets.

Gray narrowed his eyes at him. "No, you're up to something. I've known you for a really long time, as much as I hate to say it. In that time, I've never seen you willingly wear a button up shirt. You and Lucy goin' on a date?"

"Something like that."

Gray's eyes widened. "Oh. Are you two…"

Natsu whipped his head towards him, giving him the answer he needed. "Shut up."

"This is your first time, right?"

"I'm not talkin' about this with you!"

Gray sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm not judging you, idiot. I'm just asking because it's also gonna be Lucy's first time, so you should probably be prepared."

The boy arched a brow. As much as he hated talking about this, especially with Gray of all people, his curiosity had been piqued. "Prepared for what?"

"For hurting Lucy."

Natsu's eyes went wide. "What do you mean? I would never hurt her!"

"Yeah, not on purpose. But apparently the first time hurts a lot for some girls. At least, that's what Juvia told me."

"Did it hurt for her?"

"Yeah, but she said it's because the guy wasn't doin' it right."

"Wait, you weren't the first-"

"No, I wasn't. Juvia's had sex before me," Gray said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Does that make you upset or anything?"

Gray shrugged. "Not really. I mean, yeah, I would've liked to be her first so that she didn't have to go through that, but we're immortals. We've been alive a hell of a long time, so of course she's dated other guys before. That's all in the past."

"Did… Did she ever say how the guy did it wrong?" As embarrassing as it was to get advice about this from Gray, he endured it so that he could keep from hurting Lucy.

"She said a lot of it was because he didn't keep… you know."

"No, I don't know."

Gray's cheeks turned pink and he averted his gaze. Maintaining eye-contact with Natsu while he said this made him feel gross. "He didn't keep pleasuring her."

"How does that make it hurt?"

"Apparently some stuff happens with their bodies when they're pleasured so that it keeps them from hurting. Something about stretching. Look, I don't know the science behind it. But that's what you have to make sure to do. Also, even if it still hurts her a little, don't freak out over it. That'll just make her tense up and hurt even more."

"How am I not supposed to freak out if I'm hurting her?"

"You'll just have to. Chances are, she won't even feel any pain at all, so don't go freakin' out yet."

Natsu groaned, dragging a hand over his face. "This is more complicated than I thought."

Gray shrugged. "It's worth it. If it makes you feel better, Juvia said that even though the first time hurt, it wasn't like it kept hurting forever."

Natsu flopped onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "How was it for you?"

"You mean my first time?" Gray asked, to which the other boy nodded. His cheeks tinged pink. "It was even better than my expectations."

"Seriously?"

"Way better."

Natsu got up and slipped on his shoes. He had errands to run to. "Well, I'm outta here."

"Have fun."

"Shut up."

* * *

Lucy glanced at the clock. Two hours had passed since Natsu had left. She made a good amount of progress for her story, and now it was time to get ready for what was next.

Jumping in the shower, Lucy took an even longer shower than normal as she had shaved every part of her body in excitement. Picking up her perfume, she questioned spritzing some on herself before deciding against it. She knew that Natsu's nose was strong and that he wasn't a big fan of perfume. At least she could still smell her shampoo. That was good enough.

Dragging a brush through her long, golden hair, the girl made sure to get every tangle out. Though, it was likely going to get messy again with what they were going to be doing. She looked at herself in the mirror, satisfied with what she was wearing. She was adorned in an off-the-shoulder top and jeans that hugged her shapely legs. Her favorite part was what she wore underneath. A black, lacy bra that was see through, save for the flowers embroidered over the area that covered her nipples, and a matching pair of underwear that showed off more skin than it covered.

Finally ready, Lucy sent Natsu a quick text, telling him he could come back. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest, her cheeks flaming red. After literal lifetimes, she was finally going to lose her virginity.

Almost twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Lucy took a deep breath before going to answer it. Swinging the door open, she found Natsu more dressed up than normal. His cheeks were just as pink as her own.

"Ready to go?" Natsu asked.

"Go? Go where?" Lucy asked in return.

"On our date. Duh."

"Date? We didn't plan a date."

"Lucy. You really think I'm not gonna take you out before our first time? C'mon! I got it all planned out!"

Lucy beamed at him, accepting his hand and allowing him to lead the way. She should've known that he was going to make it special for them. Warmth traveled through her body. He always managed to make her feel special.

* * *

Their first stop was an ice-skating rink. After paying and renting some skates, the two waddled towards the rink. Natsu struggled walking on the skates, nearly falling over once or twice before even making it to the ice.

"Have you ever ice-skated before?" Lucy asked, stepping onto the smooth surface.

"Nope," Natsu answered, following right behind her. "But I looked up fun things to do during the winter and this was first on the list."

"It is pretty fun. I used to go ice-skating with my mom when I was a kid." Natsu glanced at her, his eyes boring into her. She arched a brow. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Natsu replied. "I just didn't think you'd talk about your mom so casually."

Lucy nearly slapped herself. She needed to stop telling him about her parents, or at least stick to one set. "Oh, uhh, right. Anyways, let's skate!"

Staying close to the edge of the rink, Lucy moved gracefully on the ice. She couldn't do any fun tricks, but skating itself was pretty easly. It was just like rollerblading, only on ice. A bright grin etched her face.

"This is fun, huh Natsu?" Lucy said, glancing over her shoulder at the boy only to find him collapsed on the ice. "Natsu?"

Skating up to him, she found his face pale and dotted with sweat. His cheeks were puffed out. She knew that look.

"Wait, are you getting motion sickness from ice-skating?" she asked.

Natsu nodded. "Feel…sick…"

"But it's not even a vehicle!"

"Still…"

Lucy apologized to the other customers who had to go around him. She couldn't just leave him there. Grabbing him by the arms, the girl tried to lift him up, only to lose her balance fall down with him. In hindsight, she should've known that would've happened. After all, she was on ice.

Rubbing her head, which was soon to sport a bruise later, Lucy grabbed the railing and hoisted herself up. Keeping one hand on the rail and the other on Natsu's collar, she dragged him towards the exit, having learned her lesson from trying to pick him up. Once they made it back to the carpeted floor, Natsu was better in no time judging from the color returning to his cheeks.

However, the frown on his face would've told Lucy otherwise.

"Natsu? Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's go eat!" he answered, though she could tell something was bugging him. Still, she followed along without questioning it.

* * *

Their next stop was a popular Italian restaurant. Lucy's eyes lit up. She had been wanting to go there since it opened.

Heading inside, the two found the place was packed. Even the waiting area was cramped, and they had to squeeze through a throng of people just to reach the podium, only to be told that there was over an hour wait for a table. A loud grumble sounded from Lucy. Even in all the commotion, they could still hear her growling stomach. Natsu cursed beneath his breath, running a hand through his hair.

"I should've made a reservation," he said.

Lucy frowned as she studied him. He was taking it harder than he should have. "It's fine, Natsu. Let's just eat somewhere else. We can go to the barbecue place down the street! I know you love that place!"

Natsu turned to face her, a pained look on his face as he slowly nodded in defeat. They walked to the barbecue join wordlessly, the air around them thick. Even surrounded by his favorite food, Natsu had acted differently. Something was bothering him.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" Lucy asked, pushing her food away. "You've been upset since the ice-skating rink."

"It's nothing."

"Natsu. The truth, please."

The boy's frown grew as he averted his gaze. "I just wanted to make tonight special since, you know… And so far I've been messin' everything up."

"What do you mean messing things up?"

"Come on, Lucy. I took you to an ice-skating rink only to get sick and have to leave a moment later. Then I made us walk across town because I'm too sick to get in a car, only for the place to be packed. And now here we are, eating at one of my favorite restaurants instead of tryin' the place you wanted. I fucked up everything."

Lucy's lips curled up into a touched grin. "Natsu, you didn't mess up anything."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks."

"I mean it." She reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Only once he met her gaze, she continued, "Tonight has been wonderful. So what if your original plans got derailed? That doesn't mean that I'm not having fun."

"You didn't even get to skate much. You even hurt yourself trying to help me up."

"It didn't hurt much. And no, I didn't get to skate that much. But I got to go to a new place with you. And you should know by now that I don't mind walking for you. In fact, I may not have motion sickness, but I'm not too fond of being in cars either."

"You aren't?"

"Nope. I'd much rather walk with you." Considering two out of her three deaths happened in car accidents, the girl practically swore off driving in her fourth lifetime. "And our walk to the restaurant was fun! We got to joke around."

Natsu still wasn't so sure. "You still couldn't eat at the place you've been tellin' me you wanted to go to."

"Then we'll go next time," Lucy assured with a grin. "And now we'll know to make a reservation. I promise, Natsu, I'm happy with our date. Just spending time with you is fun."

Finally, the boy's mood seemed to lighten. His normal, face-splitting grin returned to his face, lighting up the room. "Alright, good. As long as you're having fun, then I'm having fun."

Lucy nodded, her cheeks turning pink as she said, "And we're going to have even more fun later tonight, right?"

Natsu stared at her for a moment, onyx boring into brown, before he flagged down their waiter. Paying for their food, he didn't even bother boxing up leftovers before taking her hand and quickly leading her out of the restaurant.

Lucy's heart thrashed around her chest in excitement as she knew what was next in store for them. They were about to take the next step in their relationship.

* * *

Reaching her apartment, Lucy kept her eyes glued to the wall as she found herself nervous. This was her first time initiating something like this. She didn't know how to lead them into what was next.

Luckily, Natsu took the lead for her.

Closing the door behind him, he looked Lucy over before brushing some of her hair out of her face. Remembering Gray's advice from earlier, he leaned towards her and softly brushed his lips against hers to warm her up. Her lips were soft as petals and were warm against him. Cupping the back of her head, he deepened their kiss. His tongue eagerly met hers, washing against each other in a smooth rhythm.

He felt Lucy relax against him, her previous stiffness from before melting away. Her hands traveled to his chest while his moved to her hips. He squeezed her hips, enjoying the feel of her curves. Natsu's lips left hers, leaving butterfly kisses down to her neck. He dragged his teeth over her flesh before sucking on the skin, leaving red marks to show that she was his and his only. He was glad that she wore an off-the-shoulder top, giving him easy access to her shoulders and her collarbone.

Lucy's eyes closed as Natsu's lips washed over her collarbone. It tickled her skin and caused the area between her legs to tingle in excitement. As his tongue dragged over her, sparks jolted through her entire body.

"Bed," Lucy whispered, unconfident in her ability to stand much longer as he was turning her legs to jello with his kisses.

Natsu nodded, hoisting her up beneath her legs while never taking his lips off of her. Dropping her on the bed, he moved eagerly to unbutton her jeans. Helping her shimmy out of the tight pants, his eyes were glued to her underwear immediately. They were black and small, barely covering much. His eyes traveled to her creamy legs, admiring the thickness of her thighs. His groin throbbed in arousal as he thought of kissing his way up her legs and to her underwear to kiss her folds.

Grabbing the hem of her shirt, he tore it off in his excitement, throwing it over his shoulder. Matching her underwear, her bra was also black and lacy. His tongue slid over his lips. Her nipples were still covered from the flowers on her bra, but that would change soon enough.

Natsu lowered his lips onto Lucy's thigh. He felt her squirm beneath him, especially as he started to move upwards. His mouth hovered over her underwear, teasingly dragging his lip over the fabric.

Moving up her body, he trailed kisses from her stomach up to her breasts. He traced his hands over the lace. His pants were started to feel tight around him as he brought his lips between her breasts. Lucy wrapped her legs around him, bringing his bulge against her.

Lucy's mouth flew open as Natsu's lips moved over her bra. Even through the fabric, she could feel the warmth of his mouth against her, moving towards her sensitive areas. She wiggled and squirmed below him, the sensation foreign to her.

A fire was ignited within her, and there was only one way to put it out. Rolling her hips against Natsu, the girl bit her lip at the pleasure brought from the friction. The feeling increased as Natsu's hand slipped the cups of her bra out of the way and covered her breast with his mouth. He flicked his tongue over her hardened peaks, bringing a scream to the tip of her mouth.

Her brain was short-circuiting as her body was overloaded with pleasure. Natsu was touching every sensitive spot of her body. The feeling was contradictory. On the one hand, it almost felt like the pleasure was too much. On the other, it left her wanting more.

Her hands moved between them, sloppily undoing the buttons of his shirt. She needed to feel him. All of him. Once the damned shirt was out of the way, she traced her fingers over his abs down to the hem of his pants. She heard him intake sharply.

"Natsu," she breathed out.

Luckily, he got the hint. Removing himself from her, he quickly tore off his pants and tossed them aside as she took to taking off her bra. Her eyes landed on his boxers, eyeing the tent created from his bulge. Her tongue slid across her lips. She wanted to see all of him.

Sliding her finger underneath the hem of his boxers, she implored him to take them off. She wanted them to be bare for their first time.

Natsu nodded, hooking his fingers under his boxers before sliding them off. Lucy's eyes widened as his cock sprang free. She wasn't sure what was considered big, but she had a feeling that Natsu was. Eagerly moving her hands to her own underwear to take them off, she was surprised as he lightly smacked them away.

"I've been imagining this for so long," he said, eyes glazing over her body. "I wanna do it."

Lucy could see the hunger pooled in his eyes, the same lust that she was sure reflected off of her own orbs. This was a new side of Natsu she hadn't seen before. Dominant. He knew what he wanted and he was going to have his way with her.

It excited her.

Lucy nodded, laying back down as Natsu trailed his palms up her thighs. She was soft and smooth, everything he knew she'd be. He slid his fingers underneath her underwear, a shiver running up his spine at the realization that this was part of Lucy he'd never touched before, and that they were going to be exploring each other even more shortly.

As he removed her underwear, Natsu took a moment to catch his breath. There before him laid Lucy, completely bare. He'd seen her naked before, but the circumstances were different this time. He wasn't just breaking into her apartment at a bad time. No, they were moving forward as a couple.

"You're beautiful, Luce," Natsu breathed out.

Lucy flushed, squiriming as she resisted the urge to cover herself. Even though she was excited for the next step and usually confident in her looks, she felt vulnerable and a bit insecure to be naked in front of him.

"You don't believe me?" Natsu asked, arching a brow as he took in Lucy's reaction. "I'll prove it then."

A swarm of butterflies paraded around Lucy's stomach as Natsu began to lower himself onto her. He molded his lips with hers.

"Believe me now?"

She shook her head. "I think I might need a little more reassurance."

Natsu gave her a grin. "I think I can do that."

He crashed his lips against hers once more before trailing down to her breasts. He grabbed the globes in his hands, rubbing his finger over her peaks.

Lucy closed her eyes as Natsu began to pleasure her. Her body shook as Natsu dragged his lower lip against her breast before licking them like he had before. A moan slipped past her lips as he teased her.

Moving her hand down, she grabbed his length to position it between her legs, surprised at how warm it was against her palm. Placing his shaft against her folds, Lucy gave a breathy sigh, indulging herself in the heat and friction he had to offer. As his mouth worked on her breasts, she began to grind against him, his velvety skin sliding against hers.

Her stomach began to coil as a newfound pleasure washed over her. It was nothing like she'd ever experienced before, even in her moments of self-exploration. She was close to climaxing, but she couldn't just yet. Not when they hadn't gotten to the best part yet.

"Natsu," she breathed out, her voice airy and light. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" he asked. He needed to make sure she was really ready before continuing.

Lucy nodded. "I want you in me."

Natsu swallowed thickly, not needing to be told twice. Reaching for his discarded pants with shaky hands, he pulled a condom out of his pocket. He tore it open and rolled it on, his cock throbbing in excitement.

"I love you, Lucy," he told her. He wanted her to know that before he continued.

She smiled. "I love you too."

Natsu kissed her once more as he slowly lowered himself back onto her. He positioned himself between her legs. He rubbed against her a few times before guiding himself to her entrance, which had already been soaked with her juices.

Remembering that he needed to keep her pleasured, Natsu moved his mouth back to her breasts, having learned that she loved it when he kissed them. He glazed his tongue over her nipples as he pushed himself inside of her. A shaky breath left his lips as pure bliss swept over him with just his tip inserted.

Meanwhile, Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She'd heard stories of it hurting for girls their first times, and admittedly there was a slight pinch of pain. But as Natsu transitioned between her breasts and pushed himself deeper within her, she found that there was more pleasure than pain.

A soft moan slipped out of her as Natsu slowly began to withdraw. Even inside of her she could still feel his warmth. The sensation was indescribable. Wrapping her legs around him, she willed him to go inside her again. This time, there wasn't a single ounce of pain.

Now they could really get started.

Lucy's hands flew to Natsu's back, her nails raking his body as he pushed himself deeper than before. No longer feeling any pain, she decided to join in and move against him as well. Every time he tried to withdraw, she tightened her hold.

Natsu groaned. Lucy was deliciously tight around him, clinging to his shaft as he moved. He could feel his skin being stretched as he explored her body. His hands found purchase on her shoulders to keep her steady.

Everything just felt so _good._

"Let's go faster," Lucy whispered. As good as it felt, she wanted to try something new.

Natsu nodded. Tightening his hold on her, he picked up the pace, pumping in and out of her. Their movements caused her breasts to bounce, which stirred the hunger within him even more. A low growl resonated in his throat as he crashed his lips against hers roughly. Her hands moved to his hair, tugging on his pink locks.

As he went faster, he started to go harder as well, no longer able to hold himself back. He pounded his cock into her, causing her breaths to get louder and louder until she was moaning.

"N-Natsu," she moaned. "I'm close."

"Good," he replied. He wanted to make her scream his name. He wanted her to experience as much pleasure as possible.

Moving one of his hands to her breasts, he squeezed it hard in his hand. He smoothed his thumb over her nipple, all the while kissing her and pushing deep within her. All of the stimulation to her sensitive areas had Lucy reaching her climax.

Suddenly, a wave of intense pleasure washed over her, causing her body to tremble. She arched her back, pushing herself as hard against him as she could so that he could go even deeper within her.

"Natsu!" she shouted as he continued to thrust within her. Her toes curled and she was sure she was seeing stars. Her body spiked with rushes of ecstasy. It was so much better than she had expected.

Hearing Lucy scream his name was all Natsu needed to reach his own climax. His knees buckled as he rode out his orgasm, pleasure jolting through him like electricity. To be able to finish with Lucy was his goal, and he accomplished it.

Once the waves of pleasure began to lull, Natsu pulled out of Lucy and collapsed on the bed beside her. The two stared up at the ceiling, their faces flushed with heat and coated with sweat. They panted, still not having caught their breath.

"How was it?" Natsu asked, turning on his side to face her. His eyes were serious. "Did it hurt?"

Lucy shook her head. "There was a tiny pinch and that was it. Other than that, it was _amazing."_

Natsu heaved a sigh of relief. "Good. I hope you liked your first time."

"Oh I liked it alright," Lucy replied, giving him a coy grin. "And we'll only get better from here."

Natsu chuckled, brushing some hair out of her face. "Are you saying that we're gonna do this again?"

"Bet on it."

"Tonight?"

"If you're down for it."

Natsu placed a hand on her hip, squeezing it as he gave her a grin. "You don't even have to ask."

"Good. Then I hope you brought more than one condom, because we'll be needing it."

Natsu paled. "Shit."

"You only brought one?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. Just in case you didn't like it."

Lucy laughed, smacking his chest. "Of course I'm going to like it, you dummy! Well, looks like we'll have to wait until some other time then."

"Unless-!"

"If you even suggest the pull-out method, I will strangle you."

Natsu chuckled, bringing Lucy in for a hug. "Kidding, kidding!" Sitting up, he stared down at the condom that he had yet to remove. "I think I wanna shower, actually."

"Ooh, I'll join you."

"You wanna shower together?"

"I don't see why not considering we just had sex."

Natsu grinned. "I'll go start it." He kissed her before running into the bathroom.

Lucy sighed happily, forcing herself out of bed to join him. Even though they talked about going for a second round, the two were feeling exhausted after their quick shower. Natsu hopped into bed, patting the space beside him.

A smile was glued to Lucy's face as she laid beside Natsu. Never in a million years would she have thought that she would end up finding someone like him during this lifetime- or any lifetime, for that matter. Before, she would go out of her way to avoid interacting people. She pushed others away, keeping to herself. She was isolated. She was lonely. She hated life and felt guilty having to replace those she had loved in her first life.

And yet here she was, snuggled in bed with the love of her life. So much had happened during this lifetime. She had made friends. She had fallen in love. Every day was no longer a repeat of the last. She was having fun. Life was an adventure.

And for the first time in her many lifetimes, Lucy could say she was glad she was reincarnated.

If only she could go back in time and tell the second-lifetime version of herself, along with the third, that life got better. That there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, she couldn't change her past.

Her eyes went wide at a sudden realization.

She couldn't change her past, but she could try and change someone else's future.

Glancing towards Natsu, she found that he was sleeping peacefully. Slowly climbing out of bed to keep from waking him up, Lucy grabbed her laptop before tiptoeing into the bathroom. She sat on the edge of the tub with the laptop on her thighs.

It'd been a while since she talked to the one other person who she knew shared her circumstances. Even though they could relate to each other, they found that talking to the each other only reminded them of their situation, which they chose not to think about. Both of them were miserable before, and only shared emails a few times.

But Lucy felt that she had to tell her that good could come out of their situation.

Opening her email, Lucy typed her message.

 _Yukino, it's been a while, hasn't it? I don't know when you'll see this or if you're still even on your second lifetime, but I'm here to tell you that things get better. Even though you reincarnate, there are still good things to be experienced. I've stopped shutting other people out and started making friends. I even fell in love. I know it's hard to believe, but you can still be happy. Live life for yourself, Yukino. There has to be a reason we reincarnate, and I'm going to keep trying to live life to the best of my abilities._

By the end of her message, tears were streaming down Lucy's cheeks. She covered her mouth with a hand to keep from sobbing loudly. These were the words that she needed to hear long ago. If only she had believed it before.

Lucy exhaled, throwing her head back to stare at the ceiling. Things were different now. Even though she loved her friends and family of her first lifetime, they were in her past and they weren't going to be in her future. Natsu and everyone else, they were her present. They gave her reason.

Lucy opened the bottom drawer to find her necklace, only to remember that she stashed it below the mattress to keep Natsu from finding it. She had to make sure to bring it with her on her trip, as it was tradition to wear it whenever she visited her first parents' graves. Pretty soon, she would have to bury it somewhere.

And with it, she was going to make sure to bury some mementos of this lifetime, because there were finally people in her life that she cherished and wanted to keep in her heart forever.

* * *

 **AN:** Idk how I feel about this chapter. I like the ending. Lemme know what you think.

Thank you to the reviewers: **MasterGildarts, nationalcarmen, Rein Serenity, KatanaNoNeko, itsxoi, Jazminee18, KJacket, Vixenblue, XxCelestialPrincessxX, shootingstarssel, Cher, Guest, Mandapandaa, valerioux, DemonicSpider, Guest, MillennialStargazer, Guest, stranger1999, Stubenhocker, KarinStalker24, CathJorda, Starstruck-MJ, sxkurajima, Kayty, Guest, FairyRains, Pink Butter Frog, Golden Dragon, RedViolet11, Nalulove, NaluAlways26, Soul Eater Maka, Alexa60765, Duchixx, beefcakebarbienewed, leipooh, biscoiju, Guest.**


	23. Chapter 23

**AN:** Okay guys please read this. Remember when I said that this story was going to have some really heavy topics? Well, it's starting now so I will put this trigger warning here. I've never done a tw before, so I hope that people actually see it. Do not read unless you are okay with it, alright? It's at the end of the chapter when everything is in italics. You can read up until then.

 **TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE**

* * *

Chapter 23

Thanksgiving

"Good morning, Lucy. Please, take a seat."

The girl nodded, sitting on the chair across from the large desk at which Capricorn sat at. While her chair was a basic desk chair that was meant for students, his was grand and made of leather. She took in her surroundings of Capricorn's office. Unlike most other professors, his wasn't decorated with any personal items. No pictures of family or certifications, only blank surfaces. In fact, the room was nearly empty. She doubted there was anything in the room that was his rather than the school's, save for the tiny succulent on his desk.

Lucy pulled out her writing journal. Instead of class that day, Capricorn was holding meetings with all of his students to see how their final projects were coming along. She was confident in her story. It was set in the medieval times, which meant she had a lot of researching to do.

"So, what is the idea for your story?" Capricorn asked.

Lucy handed the professor her notebook full of bullet points outlining her story. "I plan on writing a story set in the medieval times. It'll be about a girl who is the Princess of the kingdom but wants to escape the castle. Everyone will be searching for her while she makes friends with people across the land, which is what she always wanted to do!"

Capricorn's lips tugged downwards into a frown as he stroked his goatee. She could see his eyes under his shades moving across the pages of her journal. After agonizing seconds, he handed the journal back with a sigh.

"I am afraid that if you turn a story like this in, you will fail the project," Capricorn said.

Lucy's mood deflated as her brows drooped. "Can I ask why?"

"I only gave a few requirements for this project, one of them being length. Another was grammar. What was the last one?"

"A sense of difficulty."

"Exactly," Capricorn said. "I have read your work before, Lucy. I know that this does not challenge you."

"B-But it does!" Lucy insisted. "I would have to research all about what it was like in the medieval world!"

"This is an adventure novel with a medieval setting slapped on. It is not difficult. It would be the same as writing it in modern times."

Lucy bit her tongue, though she couldn't help but disagree with him. Who was he to tell her what was hard for her? Well, besides her professor… Still! She loved her idea and had already started writing it! She didn't want to start over. But it wasn't like she could fail her final either.

"Alright," Lucy said. Flipping the page in her journal, she handed it back to him. Luckily, she had outlines started for other stories just in case. "What about this one? It's about a girl who is accidentally sent to another world with magic. She has to save the land from an evil curse before she can go back to her own world, but she makes some friends along the way and wonders if she really wants to go back. I would have to create a unique world of my own."

"Hmm… It is better, but it still lacks something that I am looking for."

Stifling an annoyed huff, Lucy flipped the page to the last outline left. "Okay, what about this one? A girl with the power to time travel but doesn't know how to control it so she keeps leaping through time. I would have to research multiple time periods and customs while making sure I don't have any plot holes."

"At best it would get you a C."

Lucy frowned, closing her journal. That was her last idea. At this rate, she was going to bomb her final in the class she loved most. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Capricorn studied her for a moment, though she couldn't read his gaze thanks to the shades he wore.

"I need a sense of risk," Capricorn said.

Lucy arched a brow. "Risk? What do you mean?"

"No story is good without a sense of risk to the author. I want to be able to feel the risk that you took with each word I read. I want to know how hard it was to write the story. _Your_ story."

"My story…" Lucy repeated, her eyes pointed at her lap. Swallowing thickly, she forced herself to meet Capricorn's gaze again. "What about a story about reincarnation?"

Capricorn's eyebrows shot up. He tugged on his goatee. "Interesting. Tell me more."

"What about a girl who reincarnates every time she dies but keeps all of her memories? She would have to keep it a secret from everyone. She has to remember which memory is with which life and keep from revealing anything. To do so, she closes herself off from everyone until one day, she makes a friend and is drawn into their world. Eventually, she learns to live with her secret but knows how to be happy too."

Capricorn studied her before his lips curved into a smile. "Now, that sounds like an A-worthy story. I look forward to reading your story, Lucy."

* * *

Natsu sat at the basement's lounge area with the rest of the immortals. Gray and Juvia were looking at prices for an ice-hockey game, Levy was reading while Gajeel tinkered with some scrap metal, and Erza and Jellal were chatting it up. Cana took swig after swig of whatever her booze for the day was while Mira checked the pantry for what kinds of food they would need for Thanksgiving.

It was finally Thanksgiving break, time away from school which Natsu had been looking forward to. And yet so far, each day had been more boring than the last. Ever since Lucy had that meeting with her professor, she'd been working even harder than before on a new story idea- which she refused to tell him about. He had joked about finding her journal and reading it for himself when she turned the angriest glare onto him that he'd ever seen before. Seriously, it was a look that could freeze all of hell. It was a look he wasn't used to seeing on Lucy's face.

Whatever her new story was about, she was serious about him not laying eyes on it. She'd also been serious about working on it since she had to start over, which meant he was kicked out of her apartment for most of the day.

Natsu released a sigh, slouching over in his chair and resting his chin on the table. As much as he loved Lucy's fiery determination when it came to writing, he sure missed her. Especially now that it was Thanksgiving break. He wanted to spend the whole time with her.

"Oh! I'm out of stuffing!" Mira cried, catching his attention. "Natsu, can you go to the store and buy some for me?"

Natsu, already in an annoyed mood, snapped, "Why me?"

"Because you're the only one not doing anything, silly!"

"What about Cana?"

"She can't leave the basement! Now hurry! Thanksgiving is tomorrow! I'm sure the shelves are looking bare as it is!"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Who cares? I don't eat stuffing anyways."

Mira shined her blue orbs at him, flashing him a smile that meant trouble. To those who didn't know Mira, the smile was innocent and dazzling. To those who knew of the girl's hidden dark side, it was a warning.

"Won't you please be a dear and get the stuffing, Natsu?" Mira asked, gritting out his name in a way that sent a shiver up his spine.

"F-Fine," Natsu stuttered.

"Thank you! I'll make you some fire chicken tomorrow to make up for it!"

Natsu shoved his hands on his pockets, heading up the stairs and out into the world of the mortals. The pub was dead giving that it was the day before Thanksgiving. People were probably out scrambling to find final ingredients or cleaning their houses for visiting family.

Reaching the grocery store, Natsu found that it was packed with other unprepared shoppers, just as he predicted. Knowing that Mira would kill him if he didn't bring back any stuffing, he picked up the pace and prayed that there was at least one box left. Squeezing through people, the boy worked his way up and down the aisles until he finally found what he was looking for. Sitting alone on the shelf was a single box of stuffing. He snatched it before anyone else could. He was safe from Mira's clutches now.

Heading towards the register, Natsu's eyes flickered towards the mountain of turkeys that were being fought over by customers. His lips curled into a frown, a lump forming in his throat.

Thanksgiving had always been Natsu's favorite holiday. It was a day spent stuffing his mouth with food, after all. But the real reason it was his favorite was because of the Thanksgivings he spent with his father long ago. Igneel would always buy them the biggest turkey in the store and smother it in hot sauce. They would sit in the living room and watch cartoons the rest of the day before passing out with full bellies.

He missed his dad. And thanks to immortality, he would never get to see him again in the afterlife.

With a sigh bubbling up to his lips, Natsu shook his head and headed towards the register, pushing those negative thoughts out of his head. So much time had passed since he lost his father and yet the pain hadn't dulled a bit. Sure, he didn't think of it as much as he used to, but once he did, it was like a jagged knife was tearing away at his heart all over again.

At least now he had Lucy. Lucy was like the sun in his world. She filled his life with a light he'd never known before, driving away all bad thoughts.

After paying, Natsu let his feet lead the way. He knew he wasn't allowed at Lucy's place when she was writing, but he had to see her.

Reaching her apartment, he swallowed thickly, beginning to wonder if he should just leave. Lucy was serious about her story, and he didn't want to distract her. He just needed to see her. Grabbing his spare key, he unlocked the door and let himself in. He hoped that his use of the door rather than the window would keep her from kicking him out right away.

Natsu peered inside the living room, searching for a head of gold. She wasn't at her desk, which was a shock. Studying her bed, he found a lump underneath the covers. Tiptoeing towards the bed, he lifted the blanket to find Lucy snoozing away, her notebook opened beside her, along with her pen which had left marks on her sheets. She was so going to regret falling asleep.

His eyes landed on her notebook. Unable to help himself, he skimmed the neatly scribed words.

 _Reincarnation took everything from Ashley. It robbed her of friends, a normal life, and even worse, being reunited with her family. Life was a continuous loop, each day a dry remake of the last. After living for centuries, the girl wanted to everything to end. Of course, she didn't have that choice._

Natsu arched a brow. So her new story was about reincarnation? That sounded interesting.

" _Why wouldn't she let me read this?"_

His fingers moved on their own, flipping the page.

Lucy's brows furrowed as she heard something behind her. Regaining consciousness, she became aware of the pressure at the end of the bed, along with the heat that traveled from it. Forcing her eyes open, the girl lifted her head to find Natsu sitting on her bed, his eyes glued to something. Moving her gaze towards the object that snared his attention, her stomach dropped to her feet.

A gasp escaped her lips as Lucy shot up and snatched the journal back. Slamming it shut, she whirled an infuriated gaze towards him. Hot tears pricked her eyes as she snarled at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Natsu!?" she demanded. Getting out of bed, she stashed the notebook inside of her drawer for safekeeping.

Natsu stood up, his eyes wide. "I-I'm sorry, Lucy! It was opened! I only read a little bit!"

Lucy placed a hand over her stomach. She felt sick. "You know you aren't allowed to read that!"

"I know. I'm really sorry, Lucy. I won't do it again! I swear!"

"You never should have done it in the first place! What are you even doing here? You know that I've been trying to write!"

Natsu frowned, his hands balling into fists. "I just wanted to see you. All you've been doing lately is write- which I'm fine with, I swear! I just… I needed to see you. At least for a little bit."

Lucy studied him. His onyx orbs were full of a sadness she wasn't used to seeing from the boy. He was usually a happy-go-lucky guy. Something must have been up.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy calmed herself down. Even if she was mad at him, she didn't like seeing him upset.

"You aren't allowed to read my story, got it?" Lucy said, giving him a pointed stare. She was just glad that she hadn't written anything too obvious to trace back to her yet.

Natsu nodded quickly. "It won't happen again!"

"Good." Lucy sat on the bed, patting the spot beside her. "I'm sorry that I've been really busy lately. I'm just really excited about writing this story."

"Don't worry about it," Natsu replied, sitting beside her. "And it's a really good story, judging from the couple of paragraphs I read. Why can't I read it?"

"Because Levy-chan is going to be my first reader." It wasn't a total lie. Levy was supposed to be her first reader, though she would never be reading this story.

"Well, whatever your reason is, I swear I won't read your stories anymore unless you want me to."

"Thank you, Natsu." Lucy leaned into his side, indulging in his heat. "So, what's up?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said you needed to see me. It's obvious something is wrong. Do you want to talk about it?"

Natsu took a shaky breath. Talking about his feelings was hard for the boy, but if it was with her, he could manage. "I miss my dad."

Lucy frowned. Grabbing his hand, she gave it a squeeze that she hoped would ease his heart if only a little. "I know."

"It just always hits me this time of year."

"Why?"

"Because Thanksgiving was our favorite holiday. We had a tradition that may not have been real fancy, but it was _ours._ Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about spending Thanksgiving with you, but-"

"I know. Nothing will ever beat spending Thanksgiving with your dad," Lucy said. She understood that feeling more than Natsu would ever know. She had spent lifetimes pushing away friends and family because it wouldn't be the same as hanging out with the people from her first life. "I know it won't be as good as it would be if you were with your dad, but how about we recreate your tradition?"

Natsu turned towards her, his brows inching upwards. "Really?"

Lucy smiled at him. "Yeah. Just you and me."

"What about everyone else? Did you forget they're coming?"

"They're coming after their plans. It'll just be you and me for a while. We can have our first Thanksgiving spent the way you and your dad did, and then we can have another with the rest of the gang!"

A toothy grin settled over the boy's face. "Okay! That sounds awesome!"

"Then it's settled! So, what kind of tradition did you and your dad have anyways?"

"Nothing too big," Natsu said with a shrug. "We would buy the biggest turkey in the store, smother it in hot sauce, and then eat in front of the TV and watch cartoons."

"Oh. Well, I don't have that big of a turkey," Lucy replied. "But I do have hot sauce! I keep it here specifically for you."

Natsu squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Lucy."

"Don't mention it. Hot sauce isn't expensive or anything."

"Not just that. I'm talkin' about Thanksgiving."

Lucy smiled at him. "Of course. And we can start doing this every year."

"Oh? So you think we'll be together a year from now?" Natsu teased with a smirk.

A blush stained her cheeks. "Yeah. I do. Or at least I hope we are. Is that weird?"

"I'm just teasing ya, Luce. I feel the same way." Glancing down at the plastic bag on the floor, he shot up out of bed. "Shit. I gotta get this stuffing home. I was supposed to grab it. She's so gonna kill me."

"Who? Erza?" Lucy asked with an arched brow.

Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "No. Someone else we live with. Can't talk about it. Anyways, I gotta go! I'll see you tomorrow, Luce! Bye, love you!"

"Love you too," Lucy replied, barely able to get the words out in time as Natsu dashed out the door. She cocked her head to the side. " _I wonder how many people he lives with."_

* * *

"Thank you, Natsu!" Mira chirped, accepting the box of stuffing and leaving it on the counter with the rest of tomorrow's ingredients.

"You're lucky. That was the last box!" Natsu replied.

"Didn't you leave like over an hour ago?" Cana asked, taking a swig of rum.

"He probably went to visit Lucy too," Gray said.

Mira frowned, planting her hands on her hips. "You guys are lucky! I wish it was my turn out of the basement so I could meet this Lucy girl!"

"Same," Cana added. "Heard she's got some great boobs."

Natsu gave a proud grin. "She does. Anyways, Mira, don't forget I'm goin' over to Lucy's for Thanksgiving so we gotta have ours earlier than usual."

"Okay! It'll be a Thanksgiving lunch instead of dinner then!"

"I still can't believe you're willing to cut time short over here to go to your girlfriend's house," Cana said. "I never woulda imagined you leaving Mira's cooking early. Is she a better cook than Mira?"

"Nah. But we're doin' a new tradition from now on. It's worth it."

* * *

The next morning, Fairy Tail was in hustle. The pub was closed in honor of Thanksgiving. All of the blinds were shut, allowing the immortals to leave the basement and eat upstairs, just as they did every year.

Mira went into full throttle as she prepared the food. A delicious aroma wafted through the entire building, watering the mouths of everyone who waited patiently. Erza put the boys in charge of setting up tables for everyone while she and the rest of the girls offered their help to Mira, who only turned them down. She was somewhat a perfectionist in the kitchen. Nobody could hold a candle to her skills, and she refused to let anyone ruin her biggest meal of the year.

"It's ready!" Mira finally called out.

Everyone rejoiced, rushing to help the girl carry the food out to the tables. Practically bouncing in his seat, Natsu waited for the okay to eat. But first came Makarov's annual speech.

Standing on a table to give him extra height, Makarov peered at all of the immortals.

"I am thankful to be able to spend yet another year with you all," he said. "Even though none of you had wanted to be immortal, it has given me the chance to meet you, so I cannot help but be thankful for it. You brats give me grey hair, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. To Fairy Tail!"

Everyone lifted their glasses high in the air.

"To Fairy Tail!"

Natsu drooled over the food for a bit before digging in. Tears flowed down his cheeks childishly as he practically inhaled his food. Each one of his taste-buds were singing in delight. There was the fluffy mashed potatoes soaked in gravy, the sugary corn bread, and best of all, the world's best fire chicken that Mira prepared just for him.

"You're an angel, Mira!" Natsu exclaimed with a full mouth.

The girl giggled. "Thanks, Natsu!"

Laxus, who sat beside her, scoffed. "She's more demon than angel. She just cooks well."

The group stifled a laugh, knowing that they would have to deal with Mira's wrath if they did. Though, they couldn't help but agree. She was a demon in angel's clothing.

After eating as fast as he could, Natsu fought the urge to get seconds. Technically, he was having three different Thanksgivings. He had to save room.

"I gotta go over to Lucy's now," he said.

"We'll be over there later," Gray replied.

"Is there anything in particular we should bring?" Erza asked.

"Bring some mac n cheese. Lucy would love that. Oh, and some cornbread. And some turkey since we're covering the one she has with hot sauce."

"Alright. Now go keep Lucy company already."

Natsu waved goodbye before bolting out the front door. He could faintly hear someone locking it to prevent anyone from going inside and finding the immortals that are supposed to be in hiding. Knowing they were good, he ran as fast as he could towards Lucy's apartment- which in hindsight probably wasn't a good idea considering he just ate a bunch of food.

Reaching the apartment, he let himself in to find Lucy slaving away at the kitchen. Her blonde hair was tied in a messy bun to keep it away from the food. She wore a fancy dress that went down to her ankles.

"Yo, Lucy!" Natsu said, meeting her in the kitchen. "How's it going?"

"Good! The turkey is just about done!" she replied. "I don't have cable, though, so you'll have to pick a cartoon on Netflix for us to binge watch."

"Sounds good!" He inhaled deeply. "And the turkey smells good! Can't wait to cover it in hot sauce!"

As Lucy got the turkey out of the oven, Natsu set up a show to watch on her TV. He wasn't familiar with most shows these days, so he chose the cartoon with the most appealing art. She met him in the living room, carrying both of their plates and a bottle of hot sauce.

"You ready?" she asked, handing him his plate.

"Yep!" He thanked her for the food before covering the turkey in hot sauce. The meat was practically swimming after he was done with it.

"Hand it over," Lucy said, gesturing to the bottle.

Natsu arched a brow at her. "The hot sauce? You want hot sauce?"

"If we're doing this tradition, we're going to do it right!"

With a wide grin, he handed it to her and watched as she gulped and began to pour the sauce over her turkey. Cutting into the meat, she took a bite. Immediately, her eyes started to water and she was rushing into the kitchen to grab a glass of milk, guzzling it down as if she hadn't had a drop in weeks.

Natsu bent over in laughter as Lucy fanned herself.

"Your-Your face is red!" Natsu choked out between laughs. "Just from one bite!"

"It's not my fault!" Lucy replied, glaring at him.

"It's fine, Lucy. You don't gotta force yourself to eat it. Just eat it the way you like it!"

The girl shook her head. "Nope! I'm going to do this! I'll eat it the way I like when everyone else comes over."

Natsu smiled, patting the spot beside him on the couch. "Sounds good. Let's watch!"

Lucy sat by him on the couch, their thighs flushed against each other as they munched on the food and watched cartoons. Even though she had to drink milk after each bite she took, the turkey was pretty good. Having the love of her life beside her made it even better.

" _This is the best Thanksgiving ever."_

* * *

About an hour later there was a knock at the door. Pausing their cartoons, Lucy beamed as she rushed to answer the door, swinging it open to find the rest of their friends.

"Hey, guys!" she said, making room to let them in.

Gajeel gave her a lookover as he entered. "Why're you so dressed up?"

Lucy glanced at all of them. Sure enough, they were all clad in baggy clothing. "You guys don't dress up for Thanksgiving?"

"What? 'Course not. That's weird."

"How is it weird? It's a holiday!"

"A holiday meant to eat a shit ton of food. Not like you're leavin' the house or anything."

"Gajeel's right," Gray added. "You gotta wear baggy clothes so that you can fit more food in you."

Lucy tilted her head to the side. "I guess that makes sense. Let me go change then! It feels weird being the only one dressed up."

Now she had another new Thanksgiving tradition. Spicy turkey, cartoons, and sweatpants. Life was good.

After changing into more appropriate attire, Lucy joined everyone else at the table. She watched as Erza placed containers of food on the table. Her mouth drooled as the smell filled her nose.

"Oh wow. Did one of you guys cook this?" Lucy asked, thanking Erza as she handed her a plate.

"Yes," Erza lied. "Jellal cooks on his free time. Anyways, try the mac n cheese. I think you would like it."

Once everyone had their food, they each began to dig in. Most of them were already starting to get full considering they already ate, but for those like Natsu and Gajeel with ridiculous appetites, it was as if they hadn't eaten in days.

"So, Lucy, you're visiting home soon, right?" Gray asked.

The girl nodded. "I'm visiting my mom's grave the day after Jellal's birthday. And then I have to go visit my dad not long after. What sucks almost as much as having to see my dad is the fact that I have to pay for a cab to take me all the way to the airport."

"Why don't you have one of us drive you?"

"None of you own a car and we're too young to get a rental."

"No, but I have a friend's car I can borrow," Gray said. "I can drive you there if you want, that way you can save some money."

"I'll go too!" Natsu exclaimed.

"What about your motion sickness?" Lucy asked.

"Ehh, I'll just have to deal with it. I wanna see you off!"

She smiled. "Well, okay! Sounds good!"

"Don't forget about our skiing trip during winter break either," Erza chimed in. "Jellal and I have already booked our cabins. We'll be staying there for two nights."

A grin graced her face. Not only was she spending Thanksgiving with friends, but she was also going on a trip with them during winter break. Her life really had been flipped upside down ever since she met Levy.

"Uhh, I'd like to make a toast," Lucy said, lifting her glass of sparkling cider in the air. "I'm really thankful that you guys are in my life."

The group shared a smile.

"We feel the same way, weirdo," Natsu replied. "The group just ain't the same without you now. Now, hurry up and eat!"

* * *

 _A sharp branch sliced her forearm. Crimson blood trickled down her skin, not that she could feel it. Her legs and chest burned as she ran, not once looking back._

 _Lucy hid behind a large tree, trying to smother her loud pants so that they wouldn't find her. Hot tears slid down her cheeks. Her hands trembled at her sides, balled into tight fists._

 _She could remember his face clearly. His brows were furrowed as he gave her the most disgusted look she had ever seen._

 _"You reincarnate?" he had asked. "Are you joking?"_

 _"I'm not joking, Natsu. It's true."_

 _"Lucy, that's not possible. Stop messing with me."_

 _"I'm not messing with you! It's the truth!"_

 _Natsu had then turned back to the rest of their friends before taking a slow step towards her. His arms were extended towards her, as if he was trying to calm down a frantic animal._

 _"We believe you, Lucy," he had said, taking another step towards her._

 _She shook her head. "You don't… You think I'm crazy!"_

 _"Lucy, just get in the car… We'll take you anywhere you wanna go."_

 _Once he took another step towards her, she bolted. Now, she was stuck in the woods, her arm was bleeding, and she was hiding from the people she had thought were her friends._

 _"I should've known things couldn't have been different this time around," she muttered to herself. She glanced up to a particularly thick branch that hung over her. The rope felt heavy in her hands as she looped it around. She hoisted herself onto a lower branch. Her neck stung as loose threads of the rope scratched her skin._

 _And then she jumped._

A loud gasp slipped past Lucy's lips as she jolted up in bed. Her hand flew up to her neck, rubbing it to make sure she was free. Her cheeks were wet with tears as she struggled to calm her breathing.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" she heard beside her.

Instead of replying, she leaned over the bed and grabbed the closest trash can she could before throwing up into it.

The girl slowly turned to face him, her lips quivering as she threw herself at him. Her body shattered against him as wretched sobs escaped her. Her hands clenched his shirt, scared to let go.

Any ounce of drowsiness that was in Natsu before vanished as he wrapped his arms around Lucy. He wasn't sure what was going on. One minute, they were asleep. The next, she was a bawling mess.

"Did you have a bad dream?" he asked, smoothing a hand over the back of her head.

Lucy nodded. It had been so long since she had one of those dreams, and they were just as sickening.

"I'm here with you, Lucy. Whatever happened in your dream wasn't real."

The girl shook her head. "I-It was. It was real."

"What was it about?"

Lucy pulled away from the embrace, shaking her head with a whimper. Her throat was tight as she swallowed. Her stomach was in knots.

"I just want to sleep," Lucy whispered, her voice cracking. "Can we just go to bed?"

Natsu frowned but nodded reluctantly. He couldn't force her to talk about something when she wasn't ready. Especially when she was so shaken up by it. "If that's what you want… Come here."

He guided her back down onto the bed, holding her in his arms. Lucy's eyes were heavy as Natsu's fingers sifted through her hair. It took hours to coax herself back to sleep, all the repeating something to herself in her head.

" _It was just a dream."_

* * *

 **AN:** I didn't go into too much detail about it since it was just a dream, but it's good to put a tw just in case. Hope you guys like the chapter! Please leave a review!

Thank you to the reviewers: **Rein Serenity, Starstruck-MJ, Cher, shootingstarssel, KarinStalker24, abbyk1114, KatanaNoNeko, NaLuAlways26, KJacket, Guest, Yellowligerrr, Vixenblue, Densolator, stranger1999, valerioux, Duchixx, MillennialStargazer, sxkurajima, RedViolet11, Ayano Higarashi, Alexa60765, Nalulove, Guest, Mandapandaa, Pink Butter Frog, FairyRains, nmesoma, Stubenhocker, SilverPowder, Soul Eater Maka, MasterGildarts, beefcakebarbierenewed, Guest, Guest, FairyTailxFanGirl, Nalu123, MissYukkina, mrmrmrmrmr.**


	24. Chapter 24

**AN:** Hello! I'm finally here with an update! And just in time too because today is TDDUP's 1 year anniversary! :D Yay! Hope you guys like the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 24

Jellal's Birthday

"You should've seen her. She literally woke up, puked her guts out, and started crying," Natsu said, staring up at his ceiling.

Gray let out a low whistle. "Must've been a pretty scary dream."

He sat up, turning towards his roommate. A frown rested on his face as he said, "That's the thing. I'm beginning to wonder if that's all it was."

"What do you mean?"

"When I told her none of it was real, she said that it really was. I didn't really think much about it then, but I'm starting to wonder if she had a nightmare about something real."

"Why don't you just ask?"

"You don't think I've tried? Every time I try to bring it up, she just keeps changing the subject. It's obvious she doesn't wanna talk about it."

"Then just leave it alone,"

Natsu furrowed his brows. "Leave it alone? How can I just leave it alone? She was crying."

"Not everything has to be talked about," Gray said with a shrug. "Look, her mom's anniversary is coming up, right? It was probably just a dream about her mom. I've had plenty of those about my family, and I'm sure you've had them too."

Natsu couldn't argue with that logic. "Well why wouldn't she wanna talk to me about that? We talk to each other all the time about that kinda stuff."

"Maybe she's not ready. Either way, I say you just drop it. It's better than to keep reminding her."

"Fine," Natsu said, laying back down on his bed. It'd been four days since that night, and he couldn't get it out of his head. He'd never seen Lucy so shaken up before, it made a shiver run down his own spine.

Gray raised his arms above his head in a stretch before getting out of bed. "C'mon. We gotta go help with the party or else Erza will literally kill us."

Natsu groaned. "She gets even more violent on Jellal's birthday."

"That's because she always tries to make things perfect and fails every time."

"She really does suck at surprises."

As the two headed towards the lounge in the basement, Natsu noticed everyone running around with sweat dotting their faces as they hung decorations on the wall. Erza must've gotten to them. It was no secret among Fairy Tail that if someone messed up Jellal's birthday or even hung a decoration up crookedly, there would be hell to pay with the demonic redhead. Speak of the devil…

"Natsu, Gray. It is good that you two are finally joining us," Erza said, approaching the two. She shoved streamers into their hands. "You idiots can't possibly mess this up. Hang these from the ceilings. Find me when you are done so I can give you your next task."

Natsu knew better than to talk back on Jellal's birthday.

"Aye, sir!" the two exclaimed, saluting the girl. She gave a satisfied nod before moving on to check on everyone else.

Only after the basement was covered in colorful decorations, a beautiful cake sat on the counter courtesy of Mira, and everyone was gathered in the lounge did Erza officially commence the party. Everyone cheered their congratulations for Jellal.

Birthdays were cause for a huge celebration in Fairy Tail, big enough that they shut down the whole place. Many immortals, like Cana, had forgotten their actual birthdays over the vast years and chose not to celebrate. But after joining Fairy Tail, they were able to pick a new birthday for themselves and celebrate it with a group of people who cared and understood.

In Jellal's case, December 1st was not his real birthday. He had long since forgotten, partly due to his longevity and also due to what happened at the research facility. He and Erza were only fresh immortals back then, only recently discovering their secret. Before they could really understand what was happening, they were dragged to a facility against their will and experimented on for decades by mortals trying to find the secret to immortality. After repeated experiments, they lost track of the years and their brains had suffered damage.

They weren't the only immortals to go through something like that. Many of them had been through their own hardships caused by mortals, particularly Mira. Her story always made Natsu sick to his stomach just listening to it.

Only bad things came from mortals finding out about their secret, which was why they held a prejudice against Lucy at first. She was the first mortal who didn't know of immortality to prove to them that there were good ones out there.

Natsu kept a grin glued to his face, but he couldn't help but miss Lucy. After her nightmare, conversation between the two of them had been a bit tense. He wished she was there celebrating with all of them.

"It is time for gifts!" Erza announced while everyone was eating their cake.

"You guys didn't have to get me anything," Jellal said with a smile. He said that every year, knowing that they were going to go out of their way and get him something anyways.

"Nonsense! Here, open mine first!"

Jellal thanked his wife, accepting the gift. A chuckle slipped past his lips as he noticed the sloppy wrapping of the present. While some would suspect that the redhead would be neat and tidy when wrapping gifts, she was actually quite bad at it. And he loved that small fact about her.

Tearing the paper off, he opened the box underneath to find a worn-out journal. Its corners were folded over and its edges were torn, but it still managed to bring a huge grin to the otherwise stoic boy's face.

"Erza! How did you find this?" he asked, flipping open the book and running his fingers over the brittle pages.

"It was actually a lot of work to get," she answered with a small smile. "For one, they kept it in a museum. I've been planning a way to get it out of there for a year now. Then, I had to do it without being caught. Luckily, I did."

"Wait, you broke into a museum?" Cana asked, blanching at the redhead.

She shrugged. "Yeah. All it took was months of observing, a friend on the inside, tiny movements of their cameras every day so that they wouldn't notice, and then breaking in through a back window and taking it during the night."

"Erza, I don't think you know how truly scary you are sometimes."

Erza gave a smug grin. "Oh, I know."

"What is that thing anyways?" Gajeel asked, moving closer to Jellal to see what it was. "And how could you of all people break into a museum to get it? You're always sittin' on that high horse of yours, talkin' about morals and shit. Now look at ya."

"It's not really robbing if it was yours to begin with."

"This journal was mine," Jellal explained. "It was back in our hometown. I was studying and I wrote down some experiments I did in this journal. This was right before we were taken."

Everyone stared at the ground as Erza balled her hands into tight fists. It wasn't a secret that the facility still haunted her to this day.

"Anyways," Jellal said, trying to move quickly from that topic. "After that, I didn't go back to my old home for years, but apparently someone had raided it and took my journal. Apparently, it was interesting that someone from those days had formulated advanced equations, so they kept it preserved in a museum. I was very shocked to find it one day."

"This is the only thing we could find from the old days," Erza added. "Nostalgic, isn't it?"

"It is. I still cannot believe you got it back for me."

"That was pretty risky of you, Erza," Mira said with a chuckle. "But you'd do anything for Jellal! It's so cute!"

The girl's cheeks burned to match her hair. "A-Anyways, next present!"

The group went around, giving Jellal their presents until there weren't any more. After that, they drank and played games, so caught up in the moment that they didn't feel like outsiders stuck in hiding. In that moment, they were just a group of friends- a family- all of them celebrating a birthday like any normal person would.

"Don't drink too much," Levy said, watching as Gajeel downed an entire mug of booze. "Don't forget we're going to celebrate again later with Lu-chan. She can't know that we were already celebrating without her."

Don't worry, Shrimp. I ain't no lightweight."

"Levy does have a point," Gray said. "Maybe we shouldn't have gotten full off of the cake already. Knowing Lucy, she's probably baking one right now for us."

"She sounds so nice!" Mira gushed. "I wish I could meet her! Why do I have to be in a different cycle from you guys?"

"Yeah, yeah," Cana said, slinging an arm around the other girl's shoulders. "You've got me, Laxus, and his squad in your cycle. Can't beat that setup! After all, I take you to the cool parties that people throw!"

"Yes, and you shrug off your studies," Erza scolded.

"Psh. Oh well."

Natsu crossed his arms with a sour look. "Why can't I 'shrug off my studies' if Cana can?"

"Because you're in her cycle," Gray said with a smirk. "She can't have you making her look bad. Though, you bein' an immortal already makes the rest of us look bad."

Before the two could begin to brawl, Makarove climbed up onto one of the tables to give himself some more height. Even then, he still wasn't tall enough to peer down at everyone, but his air of authority made up for his lack of height.

"My children," he started, gazing at each and every one of them. "I am happy to be able to celebrate another one of your birthdays will all of you. Jellal, happy birthday. I wish you nothing but happiness. I know many of you have forgotten your original birthdays, but it is with Fairy Tail that you are given another! It is with Fairy Tail that you are able to celebrate with your peers! It is with Fairy Tail that you can begin anew! So cheers!"

Everyone lifted their glasses high in the air, the building rumbling as everyone cheered.

* * *

Lucy sighed as she threw the cake in the oven, dusting her hands off on her apron. She wasn't much of a baker, but as long as she followed the recipe, she was sure it would turn out decent enough.

The girl glanced around her apartment, making sure everything was ready for the party later. Streamers hung from the ceiling, banners were pinned to the wall, and games were set up on the dining table- games that she bought specifically for the occasion. All that was left was the cake, which would need to bake for roughly twenty minutes, cooled, then frosted. That left her nearly an hour to relax.

Making her way over to her desk, Lucy plopped onto the chair with a sigh. Rubbing her eyes, she stifled a groan. She could feel the heavy bags underneath her eyelids.

Ever since her nightmare, the girl had been having trouble sleeping. Even with Natsu there to hold her, she refused to doze off into sleep, terrified that her dreams would be plagued by her inner demons once again.

" _Hopefully some concealer will do the trick."_

Hoping to distract herself, Lucy worked on her story until the oven began its incessant beeping, informing her that the cake was finished. Taking it out of the oven, she eyed the clock. The others were supposed to arrive in half an hour.

" _I probably don't have time to let the cake cool all the way and frost it before they get here."_

Or so she thought.

Lucy slumped on the couch with a huff. It was nearing seven, and they were supposed to arrive at six.

 _"What's taking them so long?"_

Finally, she could hear a key being pushed into the lock of her front door before it swung open to reveal Natsu and the others. It wasn't a surprise that they all showed up together since they all lived in the same place.

Lucy eyed them in annoyance. All of them wore wide grins on their faces as they bustled inside. Were they not aware that they were an hour late?

"Hey, Lucy," Gray greeted.

She ignored him. Eyes landing on Jellal, she forced a grin to her face as she said, "Happy birthday, Jellal."

The boy smiled back at her. "Thank you, Lucy. And thank you for letting us come here to celebrate."

"Don't mention it. I'm surprised that Fairy Tail was closed today. It's not a holiday today, is it?"

Erza cleared her throat. "Perhaps they are taking a training day."

"I guess that makes sense," Lucy replied with a shrug. Searching for Natsu, she found him sitting alone on the couch. She moved to sit by him. "Hey, Natsu. Why are you guys so late?"

Natsu smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. Erza thought you said to come over at seven."

She arched a brow. " _Erza_ said that? She's not the type to make a mistake like that."

"Well, I guess she did."

Natsu sighed in relief as Lucy shrugged her shoulders in acceptance. In truth, everyone was so caught up in the moment at Fairy Tail, they lost track of time. But he couldn't tell Lucy that. Not only was she not supposed to know about the others, but it would also probably hurt her feelings if she found out they had a party without her.

Lucy stood up from the couch. "Do you guys want any cake? I made some." Her gaze landed on Erza, finding that the redhead was already devouring a piece.

"Ehh, I'm good," Gray said, crossing his arms behind his head. He and everyone else had already filled up back at Fairy Tail. Any more would just make him sick.

Lucy bit back a frown. Nobody was going to have the cake? Well, besides Erza, of course. But what about everyone else? Did they think she was that incapable of baking? Mumbling to herself, she hastily cut herself a slice and sat at the dining table while everyone else chatted around her. First they were late, then they didn't even take a bite of the cake that she slaved to make for them.

Natsu cocked his head to the side, watching as Lucy shoved cake into her mouth. Her brows were slanted, and she wasn't paying attention to anyone. Figuring that she was still upset about her dream, he chose not to comment on it. Taking Gray's advice, he was going to let her handle it on her own.

Lucy heaved a sigh before taking the last bite of her cake. She shouldn't have been so bitter. The day wasn't about her, it was about celebrating Jellal's birthday. Who knows, maybe they just weren't cake people.

Lucy's eyes lit up as she turned to face her friends.

"Should we open presents now?" she asked, clasping her hands together in excitement.

Everyone shared an uneasy glance. They already opened presents back at Fairy Tail.

"Oh, uhh, we don't get each other presents!" Levy lied. She'd always been quick on her feet in times like these. Only this time, it wasn't working.

Lucy narrowed her eyes skeptically. "You guys don't get each other birthday gifts?"

"Nope! Too much of a hassle with such a big group!"

Lucy turned to Erza. "Even you didn't get your _husband_ a gift?"

The other girl shook her head, following along with Levy's lie. "No. Jellal and I don't believe in gift giving."

Lucy's hands went limp at her sides. What did they take her for, some kind of idiot? "Okay. Does anyone want to play some games?"

That was how the rest of the evening transpired. Everyone played games and cheered while Lucy kept a feigned grin plastered to her face.

Once the party ended, the group helped Lucy clean up before saying their goodbyes and heading out the door. Natsu stayed behind as always.

He watched as Lucy marched over to the couch and plopped onto it with a huff. Taking slow, hesitant steps towards her like she was some sort of ticking time bomb, he lowered himself next to her.

"That was fun, right?" he asked, turning to give her a grin.

Lucy glared at him, turning on the TV without saying a word.

And just like that, Natsu knew her sour mood wasn't just because of her dream. She was mad at him.

Grabbing the remote from her hand, he turned it off before giving her a serious look.

"What's wrong, Lucy? Why're you so upset?" he asked.

The girl crossed her arms and replied in a flat tone of voice, "What do you mean? I'm not upset."

"You obviously are, so just tell me already."

"I'm fine."

"If you were fine, you wouldn't be acting like this. Can we just talk about it?"

Lucy whirled an angry gaze onto him. "You guys celebrated without me, didn't you?"

Natsu swallowed thickly. He should've known that she was going to catch onto them. "Lucy, I can explain."

"I knew it! That's why nobody ate the cake or gave presents! Not to mention you guys reeked with booze!"

"Lucy-!"

"No, no! Don't _Lucy_ me! I know exactly what this is about!" Lucy stood up from the couch and planted her hands on her hips, tears pricking her eyes as she continued, "I'm never going to be good enough for your friends, am I? You all share secrets that I'm not good enough to know, you all lie to my face, and now I know you all celebrate without me! Just admit it, Natsu! I'm not good enough for you guys!"

Natsu shot up, his brows furrowed. "That's not it, Lucy! 'Course you're good enough for us!"

"Then why the hell did you guys celebrate without me? Why couldn't you invite me?"

"I-It was with other people!" Natsu answered with a gulp. The truth was at the tip of his tongue. He longed to tell her the truth for so long, now more than ever. But he just couldn't do that to his friends. "You don't know them, so we figured that you wouldn't wanna be there!"

Lucy rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Yeah, right. It's nice to see that you're breaking our no-lying agreement. You think I don't know when you're lying by now?"

"I'm sorry, Lucy, but-!"

"Save it."

"But Lucy-!"

"I don't want to hear it."

Natsu's brows furrowed in annoyance, watching as Lucy turned her back towards him.

"You're kinda a hypocrite, you know that?" he said, the words fumbling out of his mouth before he could even think them over.

Lucy whirled around, giving him an incredulous look. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "You're a hypocrite."

"How the hell am I a hypocrite?"

"You aren't the only one who can tell when the other's lying. Do you really believe that you haven't told a single lie since that night?"

"I have not!"

"There it is again!"

Lucy's mouth gaped open like a fish out of water. Okay, so she had lied a few times to keep her reincarnation a secret. But those were necessary lies! And it wasn't like she expected him to know she was lying.

"See? You can't even argue because I'm right," Natsu said, shoving his hands into his pockets. His voice was cold as he continued, "You're being a hypocrite. We both lie for whatever reason; the only difference is I don't get on your back for doing it."

Lucy's fists trembled at his cold disposition. "Well then maybe that's a sign."

"A sign of what?"

"That we shouldn't be together," she answered. Her heart dropped to the floor as Natsu gave a pained expression, his eyes wide and his mouth parted. Her throat felt tight as she fought back tears. "You said it yourself. For some reason, we both keep lying to each other. Maybe that means-"

"Yeah, I got it," Natsu said, cutting her off. "If that's what you want, then fine."

"Natsu-"

"Nah. You're good, Lucy. You don't hafta explain yourself." Removing the necklace from his neck, he grabbed Lucy's hand and placed the spare key into her palm. Without saying another word, he marched towards the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Lucy stood still, tears clouding her vision as she stared at the door. Her mind was a blank slate, unable to process what just happened. But when she did, it was like a switch went off in her mind.

Once the first sob wrangled its way out of her, she was no longer able to contain herself. Her hand tightened around the key he left behind, the cold, ragged edges engraving into her skin.

This time, she couldn't even blame reincarnation for what was happening. She could only blame herself.

* * *

Natsu slammed the door to his bedroom before marching over to his bed. He plopped onto it, staring up at the ceiling and ignoring Gray's questioning glances.

"Uhh, everything okay?" his roommate asked.

"Shut up," Natsu replied, his voice hoarse. There was no way in hell he was going to talk about what happened with Gray. He had just managed to stop crying on the way home, and if he talked about it, the dam was sure to break again.

Gray wasn't deterred by his remark. "Did something happen with you and Lucy?" Natsu ignored him, giving him the answer he needed. "What happened?"

"None of your business. Now shut up, Gray. I'm serious."

"No, I won't just shut up. What the hell happened between you and Lucy? We were just having a good time."

"Maybe you did, but she didn't."

"Lucy didn't have fun at the party?"

"Nope. Because she knew that we celebrated without her." Natsu sat up, giving the other boy a blank stare. "Know what that means? It means she was asking me why we celebrated without her. And I couldn't even tell her because of this damn secret we have."

Gray frowned, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. He wasn't sure what to say. Hell, there probably wasn't anything he _could_ say that would cheer him up. That was one of the many unavoidable problems of dating a mortal, and even though he loved Lucy like a sister, there was no changing the rules that were there to keep them safe. What Natsu did was the right thing, even if it didn't feel like it.

"I'm sorry, man," Gray said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "But I'm sure Lucy will get over it."

"Nah, she won't. She broke up with me."

"Wait, she what!?"

Natsu shrugged.

Gray heaved a sigh. He hated seeing Natsu like this, and he was sure Lucy was hurting just as much.

"You know, Juvia broke up with me once," Gray said, laying back and staring at the ceiling as well.

Natsu's brows rose as he turned to face his roommate. He hadn't heard that story before, which was strange considering all of them lived together. "She did?"

"Yep. Back when we first got together. I was an idiot back then, and I pushed her away too much. Everyone has their breaking point, and I pushed her to that point. She dumped me."

"How did you guys get back together?"

"As I was sitting here, staring up at the ceiling like this, I realized that I didn't want to lose her. I went back to her and apologized. Luckily, she forgave me and since then, I've been doin' my best to make her happy because I don't wanna see the sad look she gave me that night."

Natsu scoffed. "That's different. That was your fault. This wasn't even my fault this time!"

"I'm not saying it is." He faced the other boy. "Look, your relationship with Lucy isn't easy. She's a mortal and you're an immortal, there's bound to be some fights that happen because of it. But in all the time I've known you- and really think about how long that is- I have _never_ seen you as happy as when you're with Lucy. Even if it wasn't your fault, are you really willing to lose her now?"

Natsu's gaze dropped to the floor. "Well why do I hafta be the one to apologize?"

"Well, it's not like she can just come here and do it. Besides, maybe it's not her fault either."

"What do you mean? If it's not my fault, then-"

"Maybe it's neither of your faults," Gray interrupted with a shrug. "It's not like she ever asked to date an immortal with a shit ton of secrets and baggage. And she doesn't even know about it. Without her knowledge, she's dating someone who makes things harder for her without a choice."

"Just tell me what I should do already!"

"Do you wanna be with Lucy?"

Natsu's hands balled into tight fists, his eyes lighting with resolve. "Yeah, I do."

"Then go be with her, idiot."

Without another word, Natsu dashed out the door.

* * *

Lucy's eyes fluttered open as a cold gust of wind washed over her. With a groan, she forced herself into a sitting position. Her head pounded after all of her crying, and the bags under her eyes had only gotten worse. Going to get some medicine, she turned, only to find a dark figure standing at her bedside.

A bloodcurdling scream slipped past her lips before a warm hand slapped over her mouth. With wide eyes, she watched as the hooded figure removed their hood to find pink tufts of hair.

"Shh!" Natsu said. He really hoped her neighbors wouldn't call the cops after that. But then again, if they didn't, maybe her apartment wasn't that safe to live in after all.

Lucy pried his hand off her face, panting. He must not have realized that his hand was large enough to cover her nose as well.

"Natsu!" she shouted, turning on the lights. "What are you doing here? I thought you were a murderer!"

"I want my key back," Natsu replied. His eyes bore into hers, his gaze serious.

Warmth crept up to the girl's cheeks. "W-What?"

"My key. I want it back."

"What do you mean?"

"I know I used to climb through the window all the time, but using the door's a lot easier. So, I want my key back." He held his hand out, shaking it with impatience.

Lucy arched a brow. "But you- we- I mean-"

"Lucy. I want my key back."

The edge of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. She took in his features. His eyes were a bit puffy and pink, his hair a disheveled mess.

"I don't understand," Lucy said, her voice just a whisper.

Natsu sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Jeez, Luce. Do I really hafta spell it out for ya?" Taking a step closer, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. His hands slid into hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I don't wanna break up."

Lucy's breath hitched in her throat. "R-Really?"

"'Course, weirdo. And I hope you don't wanna break up either."

"I don't!" Lucy exclaimed. "I overreacted earlier. And you're right, I was being a hypocrite. Telling each other the truth might not always be possible like I thought it was. Maybe… Maybe it's okay if we lie to each other sometimes… Right?"

"I don't mind if you don't," Natsu replied, his lips twitching upwards into a small smile.

"Well, as long as we don't lie about important stuff."

"Duh."

Natsu propped his finger underneath Lucy's chin, lifting her head so that he could press his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. Electricity shot through his body at the light touch, her soft lips moving against his. His arms snaked around Lucy's waist, pulling her flushed against him. His hands tangled in her shirt, clutching onto her as if he would lose her again if he let go.

Breaking apart for air, the two stared into each other's hazy eyes.

"Is it weird that we're doing this?" Lucy asked.

Natsu arched a brow. "Weird that we're kissing?"

"No, I mean being together and agreeing that it's okay to lie. Is it really? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to break up, but isn't that what normal people would do?"

Natsu shrugged. "Well you aren't normal. You're a weirdo. So it makes sense."

"I'm serious, Natsu."

"I don't know, okay? I don't know what other people would do in this situation. All I know is that I wanna be with you for the rest of my life, and I don't care what it takes."

A smile etched itself over Lucy's face. "Yeah, you're right. I don't care either. I just want to be with you."

Natsu grinned. "So? My key?"

"Oh, right!" Lucy grabbed the key from the nightstand, handing it back to him. "I believe this is yours."

"Thanks," Natsu replied, putting the necklace on, back in its rightful place. "Your eyes are super puffy, by the way. I can barely even see your eyes."

"Yours are puffy too, jerk!"

"Not as puffy as yours!" He reached out and poked the swollen skin. "I'm really sorry for makin' you cry, Luce. That's not what I wanna do."

Lucy grabbed his hand and gave him a smile. "Don't worry about it. Let's just call it even and forget about this, okay?"

"Sounds good to me!"

Taking her hand, he led her back to the bed. They cozied up under the covers, tangling their limbs into a ball of comfort. Natsu breathed in Lucy's scent while she traced her finger over his chest. With everything resolved between them, they let their eyes droop closed for some much-needed rest. Their secrets were safe, along with their relationship.

If only they knew that secrets always had a way of getting out.

* * *

 **AN:** Hope you guys liked the chapter! :D I liked the fight between them hehe. And also, love reading your thoughts on Lucy's dream from last chapter. ;) One of you is literally right on the dot about everything it's like you're reading my mind lmao. ALSO, Mira's backstory will be revealed one day. And it's sad.

Thank you to the reviewers: **Cher, KarinStalker24, Rein Serenity, nmesoma, Mandapandaa, KJacket, shootingstarssel, Guest, stranger1999, FairyTailxFanGirl, valerioux, Lucy, MasterGildarts, Starstruck-MJ, Doginshoe, MillennialStargazer, Lunar13, Stubenhocker, CodenameMise, Alexa60765, Babydoll4414, RedViolet11, nosserate, Pink Butter Frog, Duchixx, NaLuAlways26, Nalulove, XxStar'sDustxX, Anon E. Mous** (thank you for telling me I totally goofed lol), **Densolator, ToukaKaneki Ulle, KYAAAA, Soul Eater Maka, UzumakiDavis27, Guest, sxkurajima, BeautifulSamurai(x5), Guest.**


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:** This chapter revolves heavily around Lucy, sorry about that! We'll have more Natsu next chapter hehe. Anyways, this is one of the chapters I revised a lot, hope you guys like it!

* * *

Chapter 25

Home

After spending the day packing her things, Lucy was all set for her trip back home. She had already let her teachers know she was going to be gone for a few days, made reservations at a motel, and booked her flights. All that was left was one thing.

Looking over her shoulder to make sure nobody was around- she already knew she was alone in her apartment, but it was just instinct to check- the girl lifted her mattress and retrieved her old locket. A nostalgic smile swept over her face as she ran her finger over the ragged edges. Opening it, she found the picture of her and her first set of parents.

Releasing a shaky breath, Lucy put the necklace on and tucked it underneath her shirt. Now wasn't the time to cry about it. She had plenty of time to do that over the next few days. Gray and Natsu were waiting outside for her, and she couldn't keep them waiting.

Making sure to lock the door behind her, Lucy found Natsu and Gray standing outside of a black car.

"I put your suitcase in the trunk," Natsu said once he saw her approaching. "Is there anything else you need on your trip?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, that's it. Thanks, Natsu. And thank you, Gray, for the ride. Whose car is this, by the way?"

The raven-haired boy shoved his hands in his pockets. "It belongs to a friend of mine."

"He sure is nice to let you borrow his car!"

Gray and Natsu shared a glance. Laxus wasn't necessarily _nice,_ it was more like he owed them a favor.

"Anyways, we should probably get going," Gray said. "Don't wanna be late for your flight."

Lucy nodded, moving to sit in the back seat. Natsu slid in next to her, his fingers fidgeting to distract himself of his impending doom as Gray started the car. He took a motion sickness pill to lessen the effects, but they never lasted long for him and they didn't completely calm his stomach.

Lucy frowned as she watched Natsu fidget in his seat. She felt bad for putting him in this situation, but he had insisted on dropping her off.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"For now," Natsu answered, taking a deep breath. "Don't worry 'bout me. Just think about your trip! You're gonna have to see your dad. Are you ready for that?"

Lucy nodded. In truth, this trip wasn't to see her father of this lifetime. "Uhh, yeah. We probably won't even see each other since he'll be busy with work and I'll be at the grave."

"How long are you stayin' there anyways?" Gray asked, glancing at the two in the rearview mirror.

"Only two days. I didn't want to take too much time off from school since finals are coming up."

"And you get there tonight?"

"Yep! Then I'll have a full day there tomorrow and then leave the day after."

Gray let out a whistle. "You're payin' a lot of money for a short trip."

"Yeah, but it's worth it," Lucy replied, her fingers grazing over the chain around her neck. She would need to bury the locket soon.

Natsu's eyes zeroed in on the small movement coming from the girl beside him. He'd never seen that necklace before. Hell, he'd never even seen Lucy wear a necklace. Before he could question it, Gray turned on the radio, blasting a hit song from the past. Just like that, the thought was out his head as the three of them bolted the lyrics.

* * *

Reaching the airport, Gray parked at the drop off zone. The three stepped out of the car, Natsu moving to grab Lucy's luggage.

"I'll see you in a few days," Gray said, ruffling Lucy's hair.

She huffed at him, fixing her hair before replying, "Alright. Thanks again for the ride."

"Don't mention it. Yo, Natsu. I'm gonna go find a parking spot."

"'Kay," Natsu replied. "I'm walking her inside. I'll be back." Rolling the suitcase behind him, he followed Lucy into the airport while Gray drove off. A frown rested over his face. He'd always hated airports. Not only were they crowded, but the fluorescent lights hurt his eyes. Not to mention it was a place specifically made for transportation. There was nothing to like.

Lucy grabbed her ticket before leading the way to TSA. Since Natsu couldn't be in the line with her, he stayed on the outside of the barriers, walking with her to keep her company. She was going to miss him for the next few days.

"Thanks for coming to drop me off," Lucy said. "I know you get motion sickness, so I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," Natsu replied with a toothy grin. "I really wanted to see you off."

Her lips curved into a playful smirk. "You're really going to miss me, aren't you?"

"Psh. Whatever. You're the one that's gonna miss me."

"Yeah, I am," Lucy said with a shrug. There was no point in trying to hide it. "But I'll be back before you know it!"

"Good," Natsu replied, reaching over the barricade to grab her hand. "I don't know how long I can last without annoyin' you each day." His eyes traveled to the necklace around her neck. "Oh yeah. That a new necklace or something?"

Lucy's eyes widened as Natsu reached out to touch the locket. Jumping away, she grabbed the pendent and tucked it beneath her shirt.

"It's nothing," she said, knowing that he wasn't going to believe her after that.

Natsu eyed her. "What? Is it made of real gold or something and you're scared I'm gonna break it?"

"It's nothing, Natsu."

"Doesn't seem like nothing."

"It's just important to me, okay?" Lucy said. She squeezed his hand. "It was given to me by my mother. I just don't like other people touching it. I'm sorry."

Natsu studied her before shrugging. "Okay. I won't try to touch it again." Usually, he could read the girl like an open book. This time, however, he couldn't tell if she was lying to him or not.

Lucy stifled a sigh of relief. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she nearly broke out into a sweat just at the thought of Natsu finding out the secret behind the locket. Luckily, whether he believed her or not, he didn't question her about it further.

As they were just about to reach the front of the line, Lucy let go of his hand with a frown.

"This is it," she said.

Natsu shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, guess so." Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Have a safe flight, Lucy. And make sure to text me when you get there, okay?"

Lucy nodded. "Okay. Bye, Natsu. I'll see you in a few days!"

"Later, Lucy."

* * *

Lucy groaned, nearly collapsing to the floor as she stepped off of the plane. It was nearing four o'clock in the morning, and she didn't manage to get a wink of sleep on the plane ride thanks to an upset toddler who wailed the entire time. It didn't help that there weren't any layovers, so she was stuck sitting in an uncomfortable chair for almost ten hours.

" _I can't believe I have to go through that again in a couple days."_

Living up to her word, the girl fished her phone out of her pocket and sent Natsu a quick text to let him know she got there safely. With that out of the way, she grabbed her luggage before leaving the airport. She flagged down a cab to take her to the motel, where she immediately plopped onto the bed with a sigh. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, probably Natsu texting her back. Too tired to pick it up, she let her eyes drift closed. She could call him tomorrow. For now, she was going to get some well-deserved sleep.

The next morning, Lucy woke up with a groan. Her body ached all over, and stretching didn't help at all. Dragging herself out of bed, Lucy grabbed her phone from the nightstand, expecting to see texts from Natsu. Sure enough, he had texted her once, letting her know that he was glad she got there safely. To her surprise- and upmost chagrin- there was also a text from her father's assistant.

" _What can Father possibly want now?"_

Opening the text, her eyebrows shot towards her hairline as she read it.

 _Miss Lucy, your father requests your presence. Please see to it that you will be here within the next few days. You will be accommodated for your ticket._

Next few days? Why did her father want to see her so soon? Not to mention so suddenly. She was already planning to go there over winter break. If there was one thing she knew about her father, it was that he didn't do anything without a reason. What reason did he have this time?

Her brows furrowed. This trip was about her first parents- her _real_ parents. Now her mood was going to be dampened as she mulled over what was to come.

With a heavy sigh, Lucy grabbed her phone to switch flights. Instead of going home tomorrow, she would fly over to her father's place for a couple days before heading back to Magnolia. She didn't care if she had to pay extra for changing her flight. After all, he did say that she would be accommodated.

Lucy checked the time. Being in different time zones, Natsu was probably still sleeping. She'd have to let him know the change of plan later. For now, she had more important matters to tend to.

Heading into the bathroom, Lucy jumped in the tub for a quick shower. The pressure of the water was much too light for her liking, but it would have to do. She cut her shower short, as she had a big day ahead of her. Getting dressed and doing some finishing touches, she was out the door.

A wide grin settled over Lucy's face as she walked through town. Even though it had changed in the last decades, the simplicity of the small town remained. The family-owned bakery that her family used to go to every Saturday was still up- though, the owners she had known before had passed, the shop being passed down in the bloodline. Her high school had gone through some renovations. It was now a little bigger to accommodate for the slightly growing population.

She had so many memories in that school. She could still remember sitting at the lunch tables with her friends, chattering over the silliest of things. She could picture her favorite teacher, Mr. Wilson, who had always helped her with her writing. She could hear her old friends' voices telling her of a party that they were going to drag her to.

It was a fun life, one that she wished she could've lived longer.

Lucy walked to the outskirts of town where the cemetery was located. Much to her relief, there was nobody around. Not that it really mattered. Everyone from her first lifetime had passed away, and there were no remnants of her first lifetime left behind. She was safe, just a stranger passing through in the eyes of everyone else.

Stopping just in front of two tombstones, a smile spread over her face. Swallowing thickly, Lucy sat on the grass, sweeping her hands over the cold marble and the engravements of her parents' names. Her eyes stung with fresh tears, which she didn't bother holding back. Her fingers flew up to her locket, wrapping around the pendent.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," she said, her voice hushed under the pressure of her emotions. "I'm sorry it's been a while. You know how it is." Releasing a shaky breath, the girl craned her head back to stare up at the grey sky. "At least it isn't raining this time. That means I can spend more time with you guys."

Her hand tightened around the locket, its ragged, worn edges digging sharply into her palm.

"I miss you guys so much," she said, her voice cracking. "I think about you guys every day. I wish you were here with me. I want to introduce you to all of the friends I've made." Her cheeks pinked as she continued, "Especially Natsu. He's my boyfriend. It's shocking that I have one, right? With everything that happened, I really thought I was going to be alone forever. But I'm not. I'm not lonely anymore."

A warm smile stretched across her face. "You can thank Levy-chan for that! She's super sweet, you guys would love her. Smart, too. Like, insanely smart. She loves reading, just like me! That's how we met. Then she introduced me to her friends. There's her boyfriend, Gajeel. He _hated_ me at first. But once I got to know him, I learned he's just a softy at heart.

"Then there's Erza and Jellal. They're married. Jellal's super kind and reserved while Erza is strict but caring. She can also be clueless at times, which is surprising to others. Oh, and there's Gray and Juvia. They're dating. I can totally see them getting married eventually, though. Juvia's really sweet. Protective, but sweet. And Gray's like the brother I always wanted. You know, it's weird. I've lived four lifetimes now and I _still_ haven't gotten a brother! What is up with my luck?"

Lucy laughed, tears welling in her eyes again. "Remember how I used to always beg you guys for a brother? You would always tell me that raising me was like raising ten kids. Well, if you met Natsu, you would see that I was a very calm kid. I may not have known him when he was a kid, but I can already tell he was a wild child. He's rambunctious enough as it is.

"He used to break in through my window to hang out with me. Oh, but I promise he's not some serial killer or anything like that. He's just weird. But he calls _me_ the weird one. I do wish you guys got the chance to meet him. He's sweet and always makes me laugh. And don't worry, he treats me right. I love him, and you guys would have too."

Releasing a shaky breath, Lucy brought her knees up to her chest. This was how her visits always went. She would tell them all about her new life, wishing to hear them reply. And just as she expected, they never did.

She used to feel alone sitting in front of their tombstones. But with the thought of her friends waiting for her back in Magnolia, she didn't feel so lonely this time.

* * *

Reaching the motel, Lucy plopped onto the bed with a sigh. Grabbing her phone, she found missed texts from Natsu. Calling him, she brought her phone up to her ear, listening to the dull rings before he finally answered.

"Yo, Lucy!" his cheerful voice rang out. "How was your flight?"

"Exhausting," she answered, rolling her eyes as she remembered the child that hadn't taken a breath between wails. "How are things over there?"

"Ehh, boring. But who cares 'bout that? How're you holdin' up?"

"I'm fine," Lucy said with a smile. And she meant it.

"Have you seen your old man yet?"

"Oh right, about that. I'm going to have to stay a little longer than I thought. Just a couple days more."

"What? Why?"

"I guess my father has something important he wants to talk about. I bet it has to do with an arranged marriage."

"What!? Do I have to fly over there!? Because I will, Lucy!"

A laugh slipped past her lips. "No, no. I've got it covered, don't worry. He's been trying to push me in that direction since high school. He can't force me to marry anyone, and I fully intend on telling him about you."

"Good."

"Well then again, the guy will probably have money."

"Luuucy!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" She cracked a yawn. "Anyways, I'm pretty tired. I think I'm going to go to bed now."

"Wait, don't hang up!" Natsu replied. "Can we just leave the call going for a little longer?"

"But I'll be asleep."

"I know."

Warmth spread through the girl's body, her face flaring. "Aww, do you miss me?"

"Psh. No way," Natsu replied.

"Mhmm. Well, I'll leave the call going for a while. Goodnight, Natsu."

"Night, Lucy."

When Lucy woke up the next morning, she wasn't surprised to see that the call had been ended hours ago. Jumping out of bed, the girl quickly got ready for the long day ahead of her, packing her things before flagging down a cab to take her back to the airport.

Her feet felt like bricks as she walked through the airport. She hated flying, and she especially hated the destination she was headed to. She could already picture her father's disapproving frown over her clothes.

The only thing that made the situation better was that at least she didn't have to go to her father's place over winter break anymore.

Boarding the stuffy plane, Lucy rested her head against the firm headrest, willing herself to fall asleep. She needed to be well-rested for what was ahead.

* * *

Stepping off the plane, Lucy raised her arms above her head in a stretch. Her spine satisfyingly popped. This flight had been much better than the last. There weren't any crying kids, her chair was slightly more cushioned than the last, and the food they provided was much better. Still, she wasn't looking forward to her next flight back to Magnolia in a couple of days.

Heading to the baggage claiming area, Lucy's brows furrowed in annoyance. She shouldn't have been surprised that nobody had put in the small amount of effort to meet her inside. Her father's assistant was just as much of an ass as he was.

Grabbing her suitcase, Lucy stepped outside, the night air cold against her skin. She spotted the sleek car that was parked for her among the sea of dented, banged up cars around it.

As she approached, her father's assistant stepped out. His hair was jet-black and slicked back. His brows were slanted as he gave her a disapproving look-over.

"It is nice to see you, Miss Lucy," he said, grabbing her bag and storing it in the trunk.

Lucy rolled her eyes. He didn't even put an ounce of effort into sounding sincere. "Yeah, you too."

"Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The car ride was strenuous as she was forced to sit in silence with a man she detested. He wouldn't even turn on the radio, claiming that it would deter his attention from the road. Lucy had a feeling that the real reason was so that she would have to suffer even more. Oh well, she had to get used to dealing with assholes since she was going to be seeing her father soon enough.

Arriving at the mansion, Lucy took a deep breath to steel herself. She was sure that a battle of yelling was what awaited her. That was how her visits always turned out.

Heading inside, the girl was immediately swarmed by the staff, all of them weeping as they threw themselves against her and bombarded her with questions.

"Lucy!" Spetto wailed. "It's so nice to see you again!"

"It's nice to see all of you too," she replied with a warm smile. The staff were always kind to her growing up, acting as her family when even her father wouldn't. They snuck her some treats she wasn't allowed to eat, they got her out of boring lessons, and above all, they kept her company.

"Have you been eating well?"

"Yes, thanks to you teaching me how to cook!"

The older woman opened her mouth to reply but was cut short by Jude's assistant.

"I will take you up to your room. Your father expects to see you bright and early tomorrow morning, so do look your best. The maids have prepared your outfit for you already. You _will_ wear that, and not these rags. You will be respectful at all times. Do I make myself clear?"

Lucy glared at him. "Crystal clear."

"Good."

After being escorted to her room- Lucy wanted to give a dry laugh that she had to be escorted- she sat on the bed. She took in her room. It was exactly the way she left it. Bare.

Grabbing her phone, she sent Natsu a quick text.

"I'm heading to bed now. I'm sorry I can't call. I don't want people listening."

His reply was almost instant. "It's okay. You talk to your dad yet?"

"Tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it at all."

"Just channel your inner-Natsu!"

That brought a smile to her face. He always knew what to say. "Thanks, Natsu. I'm heading to bed now. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Alright. Night, Luce."

"Goodnight, Natsu."

Lucy was about to place her phone on the nightstand when it buzzed again. Unlocking it, she found another text from Natsu.

"I miss you."

Her lips curled into a smile. "I miss you too."

With that, her anxiety was gone.

* * *

Lucy's stomach churned with each step she took closer to her father's office. Her ankles felt chained to iron balls, making her feet drag behind. Even though Natsu managed to calm her nerves last night, there was nothing he could do now that the moment was upon her.

Huffing as she nearly tripped over her large gown, Lucy stifled the urge to tear the damn thing off. It was so stuffy and thick, it felt like she was being suffocated.

Stopping just in front of the doors that led to his office, Lucy took a deep breath before knocking once.

"Father, it is Lucy," she said, trying to speak as formally as she could.

"You may enter," his frigid voice called out.

Taking another deep breath, she swung open the heavy doors, finding Jude sitting at his desk. Papers were piled high but stacked neatly. The bookcases were filled with large, boring textbooks. His room was cold, just as he was. While many fathers kept pictures of their families on their desks, there wasn't a single picture of her in sight.

"How are your studies coming along?" Jude asked.

Lucy bit back a frown. As always, he skipped over any form of a greeting. "My grades are great."

"Straight A's, I presume?"

"Yes, father."

"Good," he replied, stroking his bushy mustache. "As you know, I cannot have you making me look bad."

" _You do that all on your own,"_ Lucy thought bitterly. Instead of voicing her thoughts, she replied with, "Of course. May I ask why I have been called here so suddenly?"

"Yes, well, I have finished arrangements for you to marry the son of the Jullenel family." He turned his back to her, gazing out the large windows. "Marital ties with the Jullenel family will lay the foundation for Heartfilia Railways' southern expansion. This marriage will establish our future and our happiness.

"Happiness…" Lucy mumbled, her hands balling into tight fists at her sides.

Her father continued without skipping a beat. "And you must produce a boy. An heir to the Heartilia line. That is all. You may return to your room."

Lucy's brows furrowed as she glared daggers into her father's back. Was she, his own daughter, not worthy of his gaze?

"I refuse," Lucy said. Finally, he met her gaze, his dark orbs gleaming with anger.

"Lucy-"

"No. I refuse to let you choose who I marry!" she shouted. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, and not in the good way. Her body trembled with anger. "Why is it that every time you want to see me, it's because you want something from me?"

"Oh? Like you are one to talk," Jude replied sharply. "You are an ungrateful child who only contacts me for money so you can keep going to that school! I would suggest you bite your tongue!"

"I won't! I am sick and tired of you trying to control my life just so that you can make more money!"

"Lucy! Why don't you understand that everything I do is for the both of us!?"

Lucy stared at him incredulously. "For the both of us? How is _any_ of this good for me!? If you really cared about me, you would've tried spending time with me! You would listen to my needs! You would treat me like an equal instead of some robot you can control with the push of a button!"

"You are naïve!" Jude shot back. He rounded the desk, looming over her. His face was etched with fury as he shouted, "You have no idea what it takes to make it in this country! You have never grown up poor thanks to my efforts! I fed you, put a roof over your head, and always made sure you got the best education possible!"

"Did you ever stop and wonder what I want?"

"Your wants are irrelevant to your needs! What you need is a stable future, one where you can support yourself!"

Lucy rolled her eyes with a scoff. "How is marrying some rich stranger supporting myself? I don't need someone else to take care of me! I don't need money or fancy dresses, I just need people to know me for _me._ I'm not Lucky Lucy Heartfilia, I'm _just Lucy!"_

Jude snapped his mouth shut, mulling over her heated words. In a voice softer than she was used to from the man, he replied, "Lucy, you may not think that money is important, but it is. Your mother and I grew up poor, struggling to make ends meet."

"I know the story."

"Yes, but you don't truly know the experiences."

Lucy reluctantly closed her mouth. It was true. In all of her lifetimes, she had been lucky enough to be born into financially stable families. Sure, the others weren't as wealthy as her family now, but they did just fine. She never had to grow up poor.

"Okay, you're right," Lucy said, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. "I don't know what it's like. But isn't that a good thing?"

"Of course it is a good thing," Jude replied. "Which is why you need to do as I say so you never have to experience it."

Lucy's eyes widened a fraction, her mouth parting. Was this her father's way of showing affection? If so, he had a long way to go. Still, it was the most compassion she had ever sensed from the man.

"I would rather be poor than chained to a life of unhappiness," she said, staring up at her father. Fiery determination burned bright in her brown orbs. "I'm not marrying him, Papa. I won't have my happiness chosen for me. I'm going to get it myself."

"But Lucy-!"

"There's no changing my mind. For once in my life, I can truly say that I'm _happy._ I've made friends, I indulge in hobbies that I enjoy, and I even have a boyfriend."

Jude's eyes went wide. "A _what?"_

"A boyfriend," Lucy repeated without falter. "His name is Natsu. He may not be the kind of guy you picked out for me, but he makes me happy. I love him."

"Is he-"

"No, he's not rich."

Jude gave an exasperated sigh. "Do you love him enough that you are willing to throw away what you have?"

Lucy didn't need a second to think it over. With a bright smile on her face, she nodded. "Yeah, I do. I don't care if you stop paying for my school or my apartment. I don't need money for a happy life. And you don't either."

Knowing that Jude wouldn't warm up to her decision overnight- or perhaps ever- Lucy turned her back to him. Usually whenever she left his office after a chat, her shoulders were slumped and tears were streaming down her face. This time, her shoulders were squared, her eyes gleaming with resolve.

She reached for the doorknob when her father's voice called out to her.

"Lucy," he said, his voice grave. "That isn't the only reason I had you come home so suddenly."

Arching a brow, the girl turned to face him again. "What do you mean?"

His face creased as he frowned. "I am ill."

Lucy's face grew pale, her mouth dry. "Y-You're what?"

"I suffered a heart attack about a week ago."

" _What!?_ How come I didn't hear about this?"

"Everyone agreed to keep it under wraps from the press. I didn't want anyone to know that I was sick. It is bad for business."

"Business? You had a heart attack and business is all you can think about?" Lucy gritted out. Her hands trembled at her sides.

"It is nothing too serious, the doctors said I shall be fine anyways with the proper rest," Jude replied, waving her off. He averted his gaze, the lump in his throat bobbing as he swallowed thickly. "It's just… I wanted to make things right in case things do not go well. You and I may not be close-"

"You think?" Lucy replied sarcastically.

Jude glared at her before continuing, "But I want to make amends. That is why I was pushing for those marriage arrangements. After my heart attack, I'm no longer able to work the way that I used to. If you marry into the Jullenel family, you will be taken care of even after I die."

Lucy furrowed her brows, her hands balling into tight fists as she shook her head. The lump in her throat caused it to constrict. Her eyes stung with fresh tears, but she refused to let them fall.

"Instead of trying to marry me off, we should be trying to get to know each other," she said. Every word burned in her throat, speaking made difficult thanks to her pent-up emotions.

Part of her told her not to forgive him. He always managed to make her life hell, and it wasn't like they were close anyways. But the other part of her, the part that was perhaps too forgiving to a fault, knew that it was the right thing to do. He was her father. Hell, even if he wasn't, she probably still would've done the same thing. That was just who she was.

"I won't let you decide my life," Lucy said. "But if you're willing, then I wouldn't mind trying to mend the bridge between us."

Jude's eyes softened a fraction, barely even visible.

"I understand," he replied. "I agree to your terms."

Lucy let out a quiet chuckle. Even now, he was speaking like a businessman.

Making amends with her father was going to be tough. She wasn't even sure if it was going to be possible. But if there was one thing that she had learned from experience in this lifetime, it was that people can change.

* * *

 **AN:** Lucy visiting Jude was originally going to happen later in the story, but I decided to push it forward and condense the chapters together so that we can get to the revelation faster. So I hope you guys like it since I did it for you lol! And find out how Natsu spent his time apart from Lucy next chapter! It's important hehe. A few of you thought Natsu was going to secretly follow Lucy on her trip but nope they've both got some important stuff they're doing separately!

Also, one of you actually guessed what was going to happen. I'm not going to say who, but I was SHOOK lmao!

Thank you to the reviewers: **KYAAAA, Cher, Guest, JuiceBox16, Lucy, FairyTailxFanGirl, KatanaNoNeko, shootingstarssel, XxCelestialPrincessxX, frolicfairy, Mandapandaa, Densolator, Dark Shining Light, valerioux, Guest, stranger1999, MasterGildarts, Guest, Doginshoe, ToukaKanekiUlle, sassykitten1701, MillennialStargazer, Duchixx, Selfish Reader, SistershoOk, KarinStalker24, Kitty9453, Guest, BeautifulSamurai, CathJorda, hazelnutdonut, Alexa60765, sxkurajima, sakurathewhitewolf, nosserate, Pink Butter Frog, Anna5949, hajaebo93, Silent night16, NanatsuNoTaizai, Guest, Guest, SparklingRachel.**


	26. Chapter 26

**AN:** Long time no see, friends! It's been way longer than I intended! It's late, and I want to sleep, but I'm gonna post this first so please enjoy and I'm sorry if my writing is just going downhill. I felt very out of practice writing this.

* * *

Chapter 26

Searching

Natsu didn't consider himself a nosy person. Sure, he would go to the world's end to read Lucy's stories, but that was different. That was only to bug her and see that cute pout of hers. He didn't care about the pasts of the people he cared about, only interested in living the present.

Only this time was a bit different.

Shoving on his boots, Natsu headed towards the door.

"Where're you going?" Gray asked just as he was about to leave.

"I'm goin' over to Lucy's," Natsu answered.

"Lucy's? But she isn't there."

"Yeah, I know."

Gray arched a brow. Natsu hadn't looked at him once. "Natsu, is somethin' going on?"

Finally, the boy turned to face him, running a hand through his pink locks. "Nothin' much. I just gotta go check on something."

Gray eyed him before shrugging. It was obvious he was hiding something, but it wasn't his business, and he knew better than most it was best to stay in his own lane.

"Whatever," he said, turning his attention back onto his phone. "Don't set her apartment on fire while you're there."

Natsu glared at him. "That only happened once!"

"Yeah, to _her_ apartment. What about the times you've set the basement on fire?"

Grumbling to himself, Natsu gave the other boy the finger before heading out. He avoided everyone else in the basement, not wanting them to know what he was doing. If they did, that would only make matters much worse than they already were.

Natsu jogged straight to Lucy's apartment, using his spare key to let himself inside. Locking the door behind him, he sighed.

He trusted Lucy. He really did.

But something was off.

Ever since he'd known her, there were times when she would lie to him or their friends. He always shrugged it off considering he wasn't exactly truthful at times either. But recently, all of her strange moments were starting to pile up, and he was starting to get suspicious. There were too many times to count, the most recent being the incident with the locket.

Sure, there was a chance that she could've been telling the truth about it, but there was something off about her reaction. Even if it was something important to her, it didn't explain why she jumped away so hastily. Natsu valued his scarf more than anything else he owned, and even he didn't react so poorly to other people touching it.

Whatever the truth behind the locket was, it had to be important.

With the nature of their relationship, he already knew that both of them had secrets they wanted to keep hidden. She was guarded when they first met and refused to talk about certain topics. That, along with the rest of the evidence, only led Natsu to believe one thing.

She was one of them.

He'd been wondering about it for a while, even more so after her strange nightmare. Since then, he'd really begun to scrutinize everything that happened since he met her, to the point where some things just couldn't be explained away. There was no way in hell she was that guarded without having some sort of insane secret.

Lucy was an immortal.

There was little doubt in his mind. It was the only thing that made sense. She was one of them. That was why she had no friends before, why he caught her lying about the weirdest of things, and why she was so intent on keeping her locket a secret. It must have had an old picture of her from long ago.

All he needed to prove his point was some concrete evidence. Unfortunately, Lucy had taken the locket with her, so he wouldn't be able to check. But there had to be something in her apartment, something that she didn't want anyone else to see.

He started with the obvious spots, namely her dresser. He scavenged through her lacey undergarments, searching for just one sign that he was right. An old picture, a diary, anything that could be traced back far enough to prove that she wasn't just twenty years old.

He wanted to be right. He _needed_ to be right more than anything. If she was an immortal, that would be a total game changer! He wouldn't have to lie to her anymore, she could move into Fairy Tail, and they would be able to spend the rest of their lives together! It was everything he ever wanted!

Finding nothing of importance in her dresser- well, besides a new pair of underwear that set his face ablaze- he shut the drawers and moved to the next location: the bathroom.

He opened the cabinets and rummaged for anything out of the ordinary. There were ribbons, a million scattered bobby pins, and a box of tampons, but not a single clue that could lead to something great.

Another spot known to house a person's secrets is their bed. Natsu lifted the mattress, searching for a crumpled picture or an old birth certificate. All he found were the baseboards that held the mattress up. With a disgruntled sigh, he tore the pillows from their silk cases, shaking the fabric in hopes of finding something. Again, his efforts were fruitless.

"This is pointless," Natsu muttered to himself. He had looked everywhere and hadn't found anything. " _That locket is my only lead."_

All he could do was wait for Lucy to get home.

* * *

Natsu leaned his head back against the marble pillar, thumping this foot impatiently. It had been almost a week since Lucy left on her trip, and he was starting to feel antsy without her. It turned out he really was addicted to the blonde. Luckily, she was finally coming home, and even though he had to greet her in a blasted airport, he was thrilled to see her again.

"Natsu! Over here!" a voice called out to him, one that caused his heart to leap up to his throat. Turning his head, he found Lucy running up to him with a bright grin, rolling her suitcase behind her.

Jumping out of his seat, he met the girl halfway. Lucy rocketed herself against him, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Immediately, he closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, savoring the warmth of her against him.

They stayed like that for minutes, uncaring of how everyone stared at them or if they were being a tad-bit dramatic. They missed each other and they were going to act on it.

"How was your flight?" Natsu asked, finally pulling away from the hug so that he could take a good look at her.

"Long. As usual," Lucy answered with a sigh. "But I'm glad to be back! And luckily, I won't have to go on a plane again for a while!"

"Good, because I'm not lettin' you go again! Now, c'mon. Let's get outta here already, Gray's waiting outside for us."

Natsu took Lucy's suitcase for her, leading her to the parking lot where Gray waited. Once they approached, Gray got out of the car to greet Lucy, giving her a brief hug.

"Hey, Lucy," he said. "How was your trip?"

"It was actually better than I thought it would be," she answered as Natsu stashed her suitcase in the trunk. After sliding in the backseat and buckling up, she continued, "I think my dad and I are going to try to fix things between us."

Natsu arched a brow and cocked his head to the side. "Really? What happened?"

"Well, it turns out he had a heart attack a little while ago, and that sort of put things in perspective for us. It's not like we're a normal family now, but I can at least stand being in the same room as him. We just spent the time talking to each other to get to know each other better. No assistants or talk about his business. Just us."

"That's great!" Natsu exclaimed, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulder. His eyes searched her neck for the locket, only to find that she wasn't wearing it. "You and your old man are getting along!"

"Yeah, I guess. Anyways, how was your week? Did you do anything fun?"

Natsu craned his head back with an exaggerated groan. "Not at all. It was so boooring, Luce! Seriously, I think I went into some kinda coma or something."

"Oh. Well in that case, umm…" Lucy's cheeks tinged pink as she stole a glance at Gray, who was doing his best to stay out of their conversation. What she had to say next was embarrassing to say in front of Gray, but after her trip, she was feeling more confident lately. She didn't want to wait to get home. "Why don't we move in together?"

Natsu blinked once, then twice. His mouth hung open like a fish out of water, his eyes bugging out of his head. He could hear Gray choking out of surprise.

"Wait, what?" he asked after finally regaining his ability to speak.

"Why don't we move in together?" Lucy repeated. At his shocked expression, her blush deepened, her confidence starting to be replaced with embarrassment. Perhaps she was being hasty asking him to move in with her after knowing him only a short time. "I-I mean, if you think about it, you're at my apartment every day anyways! And you have some stuff there already! Why not just make it official?"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head, a habit he had when he felt uncomfortable. Moving out of Fairy Tail was impossible for him. He had to let her down gently. He only wished she didn't pop the question in front of Gray.

"Uhh, maybe we should talk about this later," he whispered.

Lucy's eyes went wide. "O-Oh, yeah! Of course! Sure!" She kept a smile plastered to her face, but behind the carefree grin, she wanted to crawl into a hole and hide from the world. She never expected him to say no.

Natsu winced. He could spot that fake smile from a mile away.

"Uhh, you guys wanna listen to some music?" Gray asked, hoping to alleviate some of the tension. Why oh why did he have to get stuck listening to that train wreck of a conversation?

The two of them nodded frantically. Gray turned on the radio, blasting the car with a hit song from the past. But instead of shouting the lyrics at the top of their longs like last time, they opted for staring out the window instead.

* * *

Once they reached Lucy's apartment, she and Natsu grabbed her luggage from the trunk. They thanked Gray for the ride before silently heading inside.

Lucy rolled her suitcase into the bathroom so that she could unpack her bathroom essentials, silently taking note that Natsu chose not to follow her. A soft sigh slipped past her lips. Ever since she asked him to move in with her, they hadn't spoken a word to each other. She was too mortified, and he was probably too uncomfortable.

Unzipping her suitcase, the girl gnawed on her lower lip. Was she really going to ignore the problem by unpacking? No. They were better than that! They loved each other, they didn't need to pretend that they were fine! They were going to talk it out.

Meeting Natsu in the living room, Lucy forced herself to meet his anxious gaze.

"So…" Natsu started. He shoved his hands in his pockets and avoided making eye-contact.

"So…" she repeated, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. Wanting to get rid of the tension, she turned to face Natsu with a sigh. With slanted brows and hands planted on her hips, she questioned, "Why don't you want to move in with me? I mean seriously, you're here _all the time._ Why is moving in such a big deal? Do you not think we're going to last?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Then why not? Is it me? Do you just not want to live with me?"

"You really think I don't wanna live with you?" Natsu stepped closer to the girl, grabbing her hands and giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Seriously, these past few days have been hell without you. I was bored out of my mind and I missed you. I hate feeling like that. I always wanna be with you."

Lucy cursed her heart for its erratic pounding. With a small pout, she asked, "Then why won't you move in? You live with the others; it has to be crowded. I'm sure you could use some space from them."

"It's not that simple, Lucy. Look, we're new to this whole thing. We love each other, right?" Only once she nodded, he continued, "Then why rush this thing?

"I guess you're right. I'm overreacting. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, weirdo." He ruffled his hand through her hair. "I gotta admit though, asking in front of Gray was a bold move."

Lucy groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I'm so embarrassed! I can't believe I made him listen to that conversation!"

"Ehh, don't worry about it. I've been forced to listen to a bunch of awkward conversations between him and Juvia before they got together."

A laugh bubbled up to Lucy's lips. She could just imagine Juvia, the girl known for wearing her heart on her sleeve, demanding affection from Gray without a care in the world who saw.

Natsu stifled a sigh of relief at her laugh. Crisis averted. Though, if he could just get the proof he needed that Lucy was an immortal like him, then they could certainly live together in Fairy Tail. Well, separate rooms thanks to the rules in place, but it was still better than nothing.

All he needed to do was find her locket. However, he had a feeling that if he asked about it, it would set her off. She would harden her defenses. What he needed to do was catch her off guard.

He could do more investigating later. For now, he just wanted to spend time with her.

"What do you wanna do now?" Natsu asked. "Wanna watch a movie?"

Lucy's cheeks burned pink as she averted her gaze. "Actually, now that _that_ mess is out of the way, I had something else in mind." Her tongue slid over her lips.

Natsu's eyes followed the small movement, and just like that, a familiar warmth was ignited in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, voice huskier than usual. "And what's that?"

She peeked up at him through her lashes, wringing her arms together. As he took a step closer to her, his onyx orbs bore into hers, never wavering. She could tell by that familiar look in his eyes, that specific gleam that he only showed her, that he understood what she wanted.

Lucy's blush deepened as Natsu smoothed his thumb over her cheek. Her heart pounded erratically in her chest, threatening to break free as he cupped the back of her head and slowly began to lean towards her. She felt pulled towards him, her eyes slowly starting to close.

As Natsu's lips brushed against hers, Lucy could feel her legs starting to shake. Snaking her arms around his neck, she held herself up while pushing her lips harder against his. Their lips washed against each other, savoring in the warm feel of the other.

Natsu laid his other hand over the small of her back, pulling her flushed against him. Her hands coiled in his hair. Never moving his lips from hers, he moved his hands to her hips and hoisted her up. She wrapped her legs around him as he carried them to the bed, dropping her onto it and caging her between his arms.

Natsu sat over her, gazing down at her. Her brown orbs were filled with sultry excitement as she wiggled impatiently beneath him, and after being away from her for almost a week, he couldn't deny his impatience either. He tore his shirt off, watching as Lucy licked her lips appreciatively.

Natsu crashed his lips amongst hers, the kiss harder than the previous one. He could hear a faint whimper coming from Lucy as she splayed her hands over his back.

Ever since they first gave themselves to each other, they hadn't done it again since. It wasn't that they didn't want to, they just hadn't found the right time. And now was a better time than any.

He trailed feather-light kisses over her jaw, leading down to her neck. Gliding his hand up her side, he smoothed his fingertips over the curve of her breast, eliciting a sharp breath from Lucy. Thanks to the thin shirt she was wearing, he could feel the lace imprint of the bra she was wearing underneath.

Lucy gently pushed him away so that she could sit up. Her hands moved to the hem of her shirt, about to take it off when Natsu stopped her.

"I wanna do it," he said, tugging her hands away. There was something about taking Lucy's clothes off that got him pumped up. Lifting the shirt over her head, his gaze went straight to her chest, admiring the way her bra pushed the heavy mounds together.

Tossing her shirt behind him, Natsu pressed his lips against hers, all the while unclasping her bra. With his inexperienced hands, he struggled for a bit at first, but luckily Lucy didn't tease him about it. When he finally succeeded, he tore it off in an instant.

Lucy flushed as Natsu stared at her bare chest. Even though he'd seen her naked before, there was still a part of her that grew shy under his gaze. She crossed her arms over her chest, blocking his view.

Only that made his hunger for her grow.

In the blink of an eye, Lucy found herself on her back with her arms pinned above her head. Natsu's face was mere inches from hers, his breath fanning her face. His eyes, which were usually filled with mischief, had a dark glint to them.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, his voice low.

Lucy's stomach did flips at the look he was giving her, the area between her legs starting to ache. "You were taking too long."

"I was looking at you."

"Well, maybe you should spend less time looking and more time touching."

The corner of Natsu's lips curled into a crooked grin. "What? Feelin' impatient?"

"Oh would you just-!"

A squeal slipped past Lucy's lips as Natsu's mouth captured her nipple. He sucked the sensitive spot, making her eyes roll in the back of her head. When his warm tongue slid over her flesh, she felt a moan building up in her throat.

Natsu chuckled against her skin. He could literally _feel_ Lucy's pleasure as her body shook.

"Stop laughing at me," Lucy said, her voice airy.

"Nah," he replied before moving to her other breast.

Lucy gnawed on her lower lip, arching her back and pushing herself against him. Wrapping her legs against his torso, she lowered him onto her so that she could alleviate the fire that was ignited within her. She could feel his bulge through his pants as she rolled her hips against him.

It wasn't enough.

"Natsu," she whispered as she tugged on the hem of his pants, hoping that he'd understand.

The boy nodded, moving off of her so that he could take off his pants, along with his shirt while he was at it. He would've loved to tease her more, but after their time apart, he wasn't sure how long he was going to hold up. Before returning to his position on top of Lucy, he hooked his fingers underneath the hem of her underwear and slid them off.

Lucy watched as Natsu's hands moved to his boxers, pulling them off. Her eyes glazed over his cock, her tongue sliding over her lips.

"Can I try something?" she asked, feeling courageous.

Natsu arched a brow. Did she really think she had to ask? He'd let her do whatever her heart desired.

"Yeah, 'course."

He laid on the bed, watching as Lucy positioned herself between his legs, grabbing his shaft and stroking it lightly. At first, he had no idea what she was planning, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. It wasn't until she pressed a kiss to his shaft that he knew what was happening.

A wave of excitement ran through him as he watched Lucy leave feather-light kisses over him. When her tongue darted out, sliding over his shaft, he nearly lost his composure.

Lucy smiled to herself. She could feel Natsu trembling in excitement, and it was all because of her touch.

Feeling more confident now that she knew he was enjoying it, she ran her tongue from his base up to the tip before pushing it into her mouth. Natsu's legs buckled at her sides and she could feel him arching to go deeper.

Natsu shuddered, his eyes sealed shut as Lucy's mouth worked over him. It was hot around his cock, and he couldn't believe what she was doing for him. Pleasure coursed through his veins each time her wet lips glided across his flesh. His toes curled, his hands fisting the sheets. His gut coiled, and he could feel himself about to break.

"L-Lucy," he choked out.

She tightened her mouth around his shaft as she pulled away, her lips tugging his sensitive skin until she released him with a _pop._ She looked up at him with raised brows.

"Yeah?"

"I-I don't think I can go that much longer," he answered.

She nodded with a smile. "Okay. Let's finish together then."

Natsu was going to get up so that he could be on top, but Lucy pushed him back down.

"I want to try being on top this time," she said with a wink.

Natsu nodded frantically. Lucy was taking the reins, and he found it sexy as hell.

Lucy lowered herself onto him, her eyes squeezing shut as his cock explored deeper than it had been their first time. It was like a fire was spreading through her the deeper he went. She started out slow, rolling her hips against him and trying to find a rhythm that worked for the both of them.

Natsu planted his hands on her hips, pulling her harder against him. Lucy bit back a moan, picking up the pace. Pleasure spread through her body as she bounced over him, every inch of her being explored as she moved in circles.

Natsu groaned, tightening his hold on Lucy and slamming into her.

Lucy's eyes rolled in the back of her head as he hit a sensitive spot of hers, an involuntary moan slipping past her lips.

Natsu forced his hazy eyes open so that he could stare at Lucy. Sweat dotted her flushed face, her mouth was parted as moans escaped her lips, and she played with her breasts as she bounced over him.

He could feel the familiar throbs of pleasure as his grip tightened over her hips, his toes curling. He felt like he was going to explode if he didn't finish soon, but he had to endure it for Lucy. He wanted her to finish with him.

Lifting her by the hips with ease, he pounded into her quickly, all the while going as deep as he could. Lucy's breaths grew louder by the second, and before long, every breath turned to moans. He slid her over him, changing speed and intensity until finally, she shattered.

Lucy's head hung back, a scream slipping past her lips he sank into her. Her body trembled, a wave of ecstasy washing over her.

Hearing Lucy's intoxicating moans, Natsu stopped holding himself back. His knees buckled, the coil in his gut so tightly wound that all it would take was one final thrust. Hoisting her up, he slammed her down onto him hard. Just like that, he snapped. Pleasure jolted through his body like electricity as he rode out his orgasm.

When he was finished, Lucy rolled off of him and collapsed beside him in a fit of pants.

"How was it?" she asked. Her chest rose with each breath, her voice light.

Natsu ran a hand through his bangs, frowning when he found that they were plastered to his forehead with a coat of sweat.

"That was crazy," he answered, lazily flopping on his side so he can face her with a grin. "What about you? Did you like it?"

"Like would be an understatement. We have to try that again next time."

Natsu nodded, his lips curling into a coy grin. "You were really into trying new things this time, huh? I wonder what our friends would say if they knew what you did earlier."

Her face turned red as she glared at him. "Luckily for us, they'll never find out."

"I don't know. I might just tell them. Could be funny."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Hmm, fine," Natsu said with a shrug. "But to repay me, you're letting me take control next time. And I fully plan on returning the favor, if you know what I mean."

Lucy swallowed thickly as he ran his hand up her thigh and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. The familiar ache between her legs returned as she pictured his mouth leaving kisses along her folds.

Natsu bit back a laugh, watching as Lucy gnawed on her lower lip. He could tell that he got her aroused again, but unfortunately, they were going to have to wait a bit before they could go at it again.

"I'll let ya look forward to it," he teased before getting off the bed. "In the meantime, I'm gonna start a shower for us."

Heading to the bathroom, he started a shower, cranking up the heat since he knew Lucy would turn it up anyways. He was about to hop in when he realized that she didn't unpack her bathroom essentials yet. Figuring he'd do it for her, the boy unzipped the small pouch of her suitcase and grabbed all of her bathroom supplies when a faint twinkle at the bottom of the pouch caught his attention.

His heart nearly stopped as he dug into the pouch and retrieved the locket that was buried at the bottom. A shaky breath slipped past his lips. This was it. This was all he needed to confirm his theory.

He ran his finger over the exterior of the locket. Its edges were cracked, its shine starting to fade away. It was obviously old, but exactly how old was it?

He went to open the locket when the sound of Lucy's footsteps caught his attention. Cursing below his breath, he dropped the necklace back in the pouch and jumped in the shower without another glance.

"You're a jerk for leaving me in the mood, you know that?" Lucy said, poking her head past the shower curtain to glare at him.

Natsu forced a grin to his face. As much as he loved his usual banter with his girlfriend, right now, he only wished to finish his investigation. "Yeah? Well, guess you'll just hafta live with it."

Lucy huffed. "I'm coming in. Let me just get my shampoo and conditioner."

"Oh, I already got it for you."

Lucy paused, her head immediately turning to look at her suitcase. Sure enough, the pouch she kept all of her bathroom essentials in was left open. Glancing over her shoulder, she made sure Natsu wasn't looking and dug out her locket.

Lucy frowned. She knew better than most that Natsu's curiosity could sometimes get the best of him. It was best not to leave her locket lying around.

Grateful that the shower was running, she opened the drawer as quietly as she could. Grabbing her box of tampons, she dropped the locket inside before shutting the drawer once again. Once Natsu was out of the apartment, she could move it to a better hiding spot or perhaps bury it somewhere for her next lifetime. For now, this would have to do.

As Lucy jumped in the shower, the two shared a smile, all the while unaware that both of their thoughts were consumed by that fateful locket.

* * *

 **AN:** I've read this chapter a million times and I have hated it a million times but words cannot describe how done I am with this chapter. :) Anyways, Natsu is a lot smarter than people give him credit for, and with Lucy's slipups, I pictured him getting suspicious of her. It'd be hard not to tbh. Anyways, yes. Soon.

Thank you to the reviewers: **KarinStalker24, shootingstarssel, KatanaNoNeko, hazelnutdonut, Kitty9453, Cher, Guest, FairyTailxFanGirl, Lunar13, Straw Heart, MillennialStargazer, stranger1999, MasterGildarts, SistershoOk, Guest, Alexa60765, valerioux, Guest, Silent night16, KYAAAA, MissYukkina, ScarletRuins, Guest, XxStar'sDustxX, FairyRains, RedViolet11, CopperDragonGamr, Anna5949, Stubenhocker, ilginege, Duchixx, Starstruck-MJ, Mandapandaa, sakurathewhitewolf, Pink Butter Frog, potterloverr, Sandradaffodils, Kayytrray** (your reviews made me laugh so much lmao), **Closet lover, CathJorda, Guest.**


	27. Chapter 27

**AN:** Two chapters in three days? Wow.

* * *

Chapter 27

Winter Break

Patches of grey clouds littered the sky as they bestowed upon the city of Magnolia a thin sheet of snow. It was the first snowfall for the lively city, barely reaching an inch. Still, kids rejoiced as they did their best to pile up the powdery snow to form misshapen snowmen. They even crashed to the ground in fits of giggles, spreading their arms and legs to create snow-angels. Parents watched happily from the side, sipping on their hot chocolate in content. Others who weren't so fond of the icy blanket outside opted for staying indoors, cozying up by the fire with a book in hand.

That was how most people enjoyed their snow days. However, Lucy and her group of ragtag friends were spending the day a bit differently.

"Chug, chug, chug!" the group shouted as Gajeel and Levy shared a quick glance, shot glasses filled to the rim with vodka in their hands.

Not only was their enough cause for celebration with it being the first day of winter break for the college students, but the pair had also taken the next step in their relationship. Gajeel had popped the infamous question while they were alone in Levy's room, bent on one knee and holding a homemade ring in a shaky hand. With tears of mirth, Levy had accepted the proposal, making them engaged.

When they shared the news with the rest of their friends, it was no surprise that they were immediately thrown into a party at Fairy Tail- above the basement in the world of mortals.

Lucy wiped a happy tear from the corner of her eye, watching as the engaged couple downed a shot together. Words couldn't express how thrilled she was for Levy.

"Congrats again, Levy-chan," the blonde said, throwing her arms around her smaller friend.

"Thanks, Lu-chan!" she replied. "You better be my maid of honor!"

A squeal slipped past Lucy's mouth as she nodded her head frantically. "Yes, yes, yes! Of course! I'm going to help you find the perfect dress, find the perfect venue, and plan the most perfect bachelorette party!"

Levy laughed, shaking her head. "There's plenty of time for that stuff. For now, I just want to celebrate with all of you!" She slid a drink towards the blonde, grabbing one for herself as well. "Ready?"

Lucy accepted the shot glass, bringing the rim to her lips. Immediately, she realized her mistake as the foul stench invaded her nostrils. They counted to three before hanging their heads back and downing the shot. The vodka burned as it went down her throat, and in seconds, her belly grew warm. She'd always been a lightweight, which was why she only drank on occasion. She knew that in a couple of drinks, all common sense would fly out the window. But with such a joyous occasion, she couldn't care less.

"It burns!" Lucy exclaimed, waving her hand in front of her face as she set the glass on the table.

"That's 'cause you're a wimp," Gajeel mocked.

"Hey!"

"He's right," Natsu chimed in with a smirk. "You're a real lightweight. Seriously, I think your face is already starting to turn red!"

Lucy slapped her hands over her cheeks. "Is not!"

"Whatever you say, Luce!"

"Well, I don't care anymore!" the girl said with a pout. "My best friend just got engaged, and I plan on celebrating to the fullest! So come on! Drink with me!"

Natsu didn't need to be told twice. Clinking his glass against Lucy's, they took a shot together. Vodka wasn't his go-to drink, but since Erza ordered a whole bottle for their table, he figured he might as well help them out. It was better than letting it go to waste. Or worse, letting Lucy drink it all herself.

"Why don't you two join the rest of us?" Erza ordered, filling their glasses yet again.

Lucy nodded, facing the group. Squeezing her eyes shut, she drank the shot. She could already feel her head start to get heavy. Her stomach felt like a fireball was swinging around. The alcohol was already starting to do her in.

Time ticked on without anyone noticing. They were too caught up downing shots left and right and filling the bar with boisterous laughter. It didn't take long before they were all drunk. Even Gajeel, the one with the highest tolerance, was flat-out wasted.

Juvia was a crying mess, Erza was a menacing threat to all of humanity, Levy was on the floor laughing at the boys' demise, and Lucy whined for Natsu to pet her like a cat. It was all pretty typical for the drunken group.

"Natsuuu," Lucy drawled out. Her face was bright red, redder than Erza's hair. She was on all fours, oblivious to the stares she was receiving from everyone else at the pub. "Pet me!"

Natsu, who was also a drunken mess, shook his head. "N-No way! Quit askin' me to pet you, you weirdo!"

Tears crept up in the girl's eyes. "Fine! You jerk!" She hurried over to Juvia, resting her head over the other girl's chest. Together, they filled Fairy Tail with their incessant wails.

"How is it that even though we're drunk too, we _still_ have to take care of them?" Gray asked, his words slurred.

Natsu shrugged. "I better get Lucy home. She's gonna have a bad hangover tomorrow."

As if her hearing was enhanced with the alcohol, the blonde whipped her head towards him with a pout.

"I don't wanna go home!" she complained, clutching tightly onto Juvia.

"Too bad," Natsu replied. He rose to his feet, grabbing onto the edge of the table to regain his sense of balance. "We gotta pack tomorrow, remember? You're always naggin' me about packing in advance. C'mon."

"No!"

"Lucy."

"I don't wanna!"

Natsu sighed. The alcohol was slowly starting to leave him tired. "I'll pet you nonstop if you agree to come home."

At that, Lucy's eyes lit up like the miniature Christmas tree that sat by the register on the counter. "Okay!"

Saying goodbye to their friends- which took much longer than he anticipated thanks to Lucy giving each one of them a unique goodbye speech- Natsu locked his hand with hers to keep her steady. He shouldered most of her weight as they walked home. With their inebriation and the slippery snow beneath their feet, they had a few slipups on the way before they finally made it back to her apartment.

Stumbling inside, the two plopped onto the couch. Just as he promised, Natsu brought his fingers to Lucy's chin, petting the bottom of it. She purred underneath his touch, scooting closer to him with a dopey smile on her face.

Natsu's eyes landed on his wiggling fingers before trailing down to the girl's neck. Her _bare_ neck. With that, he was instantly reminded of his failure to find her locket.

It'd been almost a week since Lucy returned home from her trip. He wanted to find her locket and prove that she was an immortal just like the rest of them, but wherever Lucy put it, it was proving to be impossible to find. Without it, he didn't have a lick of proof. All he had was his intuition.

He glanced up at Lucy. Her cheeks were still pink, her golden locks were a disheveled mess, and even though she was sitting down, she couldn't help but sway side to side unsteadily. She was still drunk. Hell, drunk was probably an understatement. She was utterly intoxicated.

"Hey, Lucy…" Natsu began, peeking up at her.

"Hmm?" she replied, cocking her head to the side. Her eyes were half-lidded, proof that she was probably tired from the alcohol. There was a pretty good chance she wouldn't remember the night.

Natsu swallowed thickly. He wanted to know the truth. He _needed_ to know. But he couldn't just ask. That would've been too much of a risk, and he wouldn't have just been risking his own identity. He would've been putting his friends at risk too, and he could never do that to them.

But that didn't mean he couldn't nudge her in the right direction a little bit.

"Do you believe in immortality?" he asked. His fingers stopped their movements as he was too concentrated on her reaction to keep petting her.

Lucy blinked once, then twice. Her face hadn't changed in the slightest, causing the tiny sliver of doubt within Natsu to grow.

"Hmm…" she started, rubbing her chin in thought. "Nope."

"No?"

"Nope."

Natsu furrowed his brows. "But you believe in everything! You believe in aliens and ghosts- hell, every time we watch a documentary on some sorta conspiracy, you believe it right away!"

"Well that's different," Lucy replied with a pout.

"How? How is that different?"

"I don't know. It just is!"

"So you don't believe in it at all?"

Lucy shrugged. "Not really. But that would be a really cool idea for a novel! Let me get my journal!" She shot up to her feet. Her legs gave out on her and she went falling forward.

` Natsu caught her, gently pulling her back down onto the couch.

"How 'bout we just go to sleep now and you can write down your idea tomorrow?" he suggested, stifling a sigh.

"But what if I forget?"

"I'll remind you."

"What if you forget?"

"Trust me, that'd be impossible for me to forget it. Now c'mon. Let's get you changed and in bed."

Lucy nodded, following Natsu to grab some pajamas. With her unsteady legs, it took a while for her to change, but once she did, it was like a wave of exhaustion washed over her.

Natsu settled in bed beside Lucy, gently tracing circles over her shoulder to help her sleep. In seconds, he could hear her faint snores. He stared at the back of her head, caught up in his thoughts.

Releasing a soft sigh, the boy frowned. He was starting to think that he was wrong. The sliver of doubt from before now consumed him, driving away all belief that she could ever be an immortal. Perhaps it was just his hope wrenching its way into his brain and jacking up his ability to think logically.

At the end of the day, Lucy was a mortal, and he was an immortal. Whether he liked it or not, their story had an end. And it was a tragedy.

* * *

Lucy threw up for the umpteenth time, tears streaming down her face as Natsu held her hair back for her. Her face was dotted with sweat, her head felt like someone was hitting it repeatedly with a baseball bat, and the dim light of the bathroom was making her irritable.

"How's your head?" Natsu asked, smoothing his hand over the girl's back.

Lucy grumbled in reply, shaking her head.

"C'mon, I'll go make you some breakfast!"

"I think that would just make me even more sick," Lucy said, forcing herself to her feet. Narrowing her eyes at him, she asked, "Why don't you ever get hungover?"

Natsu shrugged, giving her a nonchalant grin. "I don't know. I just don't. My tolerance is just higher than yours."

"I'm jealous. I always feel like death after drinking."

"It was fun though. Well, 'sides you asking for me to pet ya all night."

"As my boyfriend, it's your job to pet me when I'm drunk. Deal with it," Lucy said, grabbing a glass of water and sitting at the table. Opening her laptop, she signed into her school account.

"Whatcha doin'?" Natsu asked, sliding onto the seat across from her.

"I'm checking to see if the grade for my story got posted."

"It's only the second day of winter break. You really think that he graded it by now?"

Lucy shrugged, clicking her way to her profile. "I had to turn my story in before the deadline since I couldn't be there the last day of class since my trip was extended."

Her eyes widened as a notification popped up on the screen, alerting her that a new grade was posted. With bated breath, she clicked the necessary links to take her to the new grade. Writing meant everything to her, and this story in particular was very personal and special to her considering it was secretly about her own life. She desperately hoped for a good grade, but with Capricorn's strict grading guidelines and her shortened deadline, she kept her expectations low.

Taking a deep breath, she clicked the final link. There at the top of the screen was a bolded 'A-.'

"I did it," she breathed out, her eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets. "I did it! I aced it!"

"Really?" Natsu asked, his lips curling into a grin almost as wide as hers. "I toldja you'd ace it!"

She beamed at him before returning her gaze to the screen to read the feedback she received.

 _Miss Lucy, your story was wonderful. I had to deduct some points due to some misspellings and grammatical errors. However, your story kept me at the edge of my seat. I could feel the risk you took in every word. Reincarnation is quite the interesting topic, isn't it? Anyways, you did an excellent job. My favorite part was the ending. I am very relieved that Iris learned to live with her curse and found a happy ending for herself. I hope you do well in your endeavors, Miss Lucy._

Tears pricked the back of Lucy's eyes as she reread every word, then she read them again. Hearing such feedback lifted the weight on her shoulders. It was everything she wanted to hear. Now, she had confidence that she would have made an excellent writer if it wasn't for her reincarnation getting in the way. She didn't need fame or fortune, she just needed to know that she was good.

Shutting the laptop, Lucy smiled to herself.

"So, when are you gonna let me read that story of yours? It's gotta be good since you got an A!" Natsu exclaimed, leaning forward in excitement.

"Hmm, never," Lucy replied. She went to put her laptop away, ignoring Natsu's whines. Her mind was too focused on Capricorn's words.

 _I am very relieved that Iris learned to live with her curse and found a happy ending for herself._

 _"Happy, huh?"_ Lucy thought with a hum. Glancing over her shoulder to find the love of her life casually sitting at her table, she smiled. _"Yeah. I am pretty happy now."_

* * *

"You got enough clothes?"

"Yep."

"Are they warm? We're going to a ski resort, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know! I told you, I'm good to go!"

"What about your toothbrush?"

"Yeah, I got- wait. Nope. I forgot to pack that. Gimme a second."

Lucy rolled her eyes as Natsu walked past her to pack his toothbrush. Thinking over all the essentials she would need on their trip, she doublechecked to make sure she didn't overlook anything. Enough layers to keep her warm in the snow, her writing journal in case she was hit with a stroke of inspiration, and a book to read both on the road and in the cabin.

Once Natsu came back, rolling his luggage behind him, she gave him a pointed stare.

"You sure you're ready to go this time?" the girl teased.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Everyone's waiting outside for us outside. C'mon, Lucy!" Grabbing her hand, he raced towards the door, dragging her behind and barely giving her enough time to lock the door. Excited was an understatement of how he felt about going on his first trip with Lucy.

"Hey, guys!" Lucy greeted with a wave as Natsu threw their luggage in the trunk along with everyone else's.

"You're late," Erza reprimanded. "What took you two so long? You should have been packed already."

"I know, I'm sorry! I was just so hungover yesterday, I ended up sleeping through most of the day."

"That's alright," Jellal said with his signature kind smile. "Let's just get going now. If we beat the traffic, we can make it in time to go skiing today."

The group roared with cheers, jumping in the van they rented before getting on the road.

"Oi, turn the music on!" Natsu exclaimed. He, Lucy, and Erza sat in the middle row of seats while Jellal, Levy, and Gajeel sat in the back. Gray, being the only one in the group with a license, drove while Juvia took the passenger seat.

Gray was about to turn on the radio when Erza spoke.

"Wait," the redhead ordered. "First, I want to explain the details of our trip."

Natsu hung his head back with a groan. "Who cares about the details? Let's just have fun! It's winter break!"

"A trip is only as fun as its preparation."

"Can't we just-!"

Erza's fist rocketed into Natsu's gut, leaving him out cold. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Anyways, I shall now explain the details of our trip."

Everyone nodded their heads frantically, their faces pale out of fear of being the next one on the receiving end of one of her devastating punches. Lucy rubbed Natsu's head sympathetically.

"As you know, we will be going to Mt. Hakobe," Erza said. "With the low traffic, we should be able to get there before dark. We'll be able to do some skiing this evening. As for sleeping arrangements, we will split up in cabins by couple."

"By couple?" Levy asked. "That has to be expensive! How did you manage to book that?"

Erza grinned smugly while Jellal gave an uncharacteristic pout.

"Let's just say I have some acquaintances in the business. Anyways, the next day we will be snowboarding. After that, we will pack our things because we leave the next morning."

"I'm so excited! I haven't been snowboarding in forever!" Lucy exclaimed, clasping her hands together. She used to go on trips with her parents from her first lifetime.

"Oh yeah? You good at snowboarding?" Gray asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

"I wouldn't say I'm good, but I still have a lot of fun doing it! What about you guys?"

"Gray is actually really good at skiing and snowboarding," Levy said. "But he's even better at ice hockey."

"Psh, like that's impressive," Gajeel jabbed. "Those are all the wimpy sports. I could flatten him in football or wrestling any day."

"In your dreams," Gray replied. "Just wait, Gajeel. You're gonna be begging for my help when we get there and you're fallin' on your ass every two seconds."

Lucy sighed. "Can't we just go one car-ride without anyone starting some sort of petty argument?"

It was at that moment that Natsu finally regained consciousness. He lifted his head off of her lap.

"Nope."

* * *

Arriving at Mt. Hakobe, they parked in front of a quaint cabin before grabbing their luggage.

"This will be Jellal and I's cabin," Erza stated.

"Wait, shouldn't this be mine and Juvia's?" Gray asked. "You know, since we drove and parked here, and the rental car is under our name?"

"No. Anyways, you can find your cabins by walking in that direction," Erza replied, pointing down the road. "We've rented the three cabins next to this one. Drop your stuff off and get ready for skiing, then meet us at the grounds."

Not wanting to start an argument with Erza about who should get the cabin closest to the grounds, the group walked away. Since Levy and Gajeel just got engaged, Lucy suggested that they get the next cabin. Natsu was willing to fight for the third, but considering Gray was the one to drive them all the way there, she let them get that one. That left them with the cabin farthest from the grounds.

Lucy's face was red from the cold by time they reached their cabin. It was about a fifteen-minute walk from the grounds, as all of the cabins were separated for customers' privacy. Unfortunately, that left them far from the activities and the local shop.

"Bet you feel good about giving everyone else the good cabins, don't you?" Natsu said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Lucy shot him a glare. "If I had known how far it was, I wouldn't have suggested it."

"Nah, I bet you still would have."

"…Alright, fine. I would have."

Natsu shook his head with a chuckle. Even though the cabin was far, it was still pretty nice. There was a queen-sized bed, stacked with thick blankets and pillows, a desk, and even a TV. The bathroom was small, and the standup shower was sure to put a slight damper on his girlfriend's mood, but it was bearable.

"This place is pretty nice," Lucy said, letting out a low whistle. "The bed looks really cozy."

Natsu grabbed her hand, pulling her flushed against him. His lips were curled in a crooked grin as he replied, "Oh yeah? How about we test it out real quick? Make sure it's up to your standards."

Lucy's face burned bright red, her heart leaping up into her throat. "Uhh, I-"

"I'm kidding, Luce. Erza would kill us if we took too long meeting up with them. In fact, she's probably already thinkin' about how to punish us for being late."

"You're right. Let's go. Oh, but first…" Lucy slid her hand over the slight bulge in his joggers. She stifled a laugh as she felt him harden from her touch. "Alright, now we can go!"

She quickly turned away from him, her hair swaying behind her. Natsu grinned, running to catch up to her.

"You're a lot more evil than you lead people to believe, you know that?"

"Yep."

* * *

"It's nice of you two to finally join us," Erza said, her voice stern as they approached. They were standing at the bottom of the chairlifts to take them up to the mountaintop.

"It's not our fault!" Lucy whined between breaths. "Our cabin is the farthest away!"

"No excuses. Now come. Gajeel challenged me to a bet on who is better at skiing and I intend to win."

They went in pairs onto the chairlifts. Lucy made the common mistake of looking down as they went feet in the air. Her feet tingled, her stomach churning. She was about to comment on how high up they were when she heard a strangled whimper coming from her side. Glancing over, she found Natsu slouched over the rail, his cheeks puffed out.

"Oh no, is your motion sickness acting up?" she asked, smoothing a hand over his back.

Natsu couldn't even wrangle out words, instead having to nod weakly.

"We'll be at the top soon, don't worry!"

Though, the lift was a lot slower than she expected. It took them nearly five minutes to reach the top, and by then, Natsu's face was dotted with sweat. Hopping off, he collapsed beside Gajeel, who was also inflicted with a bad case of motion sickness.

"Pathetic," Erza said, rolling her eyes at the two. "Jellal, Gray, Juvia, and I will go grab our equipment. Lucy, Levy, you guys stay with these two."

By the time Erza and the other returned with the gear, Natsu and Gajeel were back on their feet, their cheeks slowly starting to gain back their color. Gray showed everyone how to properly use the equipment, to which Natsu and Gajeel scoffed, saying that anyone with half a brain could ski.

"There are different difficulty leveled hills," Levy said. "Beginner, intermediate, and expert. I don't know about you guys, but I'll be staying on the beginner hill."

"Juvia will join you," the girl replied. She gave Gray a quick hug. "Juvia would stay and watch, but-"

"Don't worry, Juvia," Gray interrupted with a smile he saved for her. "You don't hafta watch me. I want you to have fun too."

"Okay! Good luck, Gray-sama!"

With that, she followed Levy to the beginner hill.

Natsu stood close to Lucy.

"You aren't gonna join them?" he asked.

Lucy shrugged. "I've been skiing before. I think I can handle the intermediate hill."

"Oho, you scared of goin' down the expert one?"

"It's more like I have a brain telling me not to bite off more than I can chew. What about you? You think you can handle it?"

"I know I can! Just watch!"

"Oh please," Gray chimed in. "You're gonna go tumbling down the hill. I'm not callin' for help if you need it, you know."

"You're the one who's gonna need someone to call for help after I'm done kickin' your ass!" Natsu replied, about to lunge for the other boy when Lucy grabbed him by the collar.

"Will you two just enjoy this vacation instead of trying to fight at every chance you get?" she said with a sigh.

"I agree," Erza added. A dark shadow loomed over her face as she continued, "Besides, there is no time for fighting. It's time to see who is the best at skiing once and for all."

"Well, you guys have fun with that. In the meantime, I'll be on the intermediate hill."

"I'll join you, Lucy," Jellal said, walking with her.

Once they were out of earshot, she asked, "What? You don't want to be in a competition with your wife?"

"Oh no. She would kill me if it meant winning."

"That's… endearing?"

"It's okay. You can say scary."

"Good. It's scary."

"I know."

Standing at the top of the hill, Lucy positioned her goggles over her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she scooted herself down the hill until she started to glide over the smooth snow. The faster she went, the faster her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel the wind in her hair and the snow beneath her feet. As the slope started to decline, she slowed to a shaky stop.

"That was great, Lucy," Jellal said, trudging next to her.

"You were better!" she replied. "Seriously, you can handle the expert hill."

"I know, but I wouldn't want to be there with such a fierce competition happening."

"Oh yeah. I wonder how that's going."

"Care to check it out?" Jellal asked.

Lucy nodded. "It'd be good to make sure Natsu isn't buried under ten feet of snow."

Unbinding their boots, the two headed towards the bottom of the expert hill. Immediately, they found Erza standing over a hunched over body.

"Erza?" Lucy called out. She was about to question who was hunched over when she saw tufts of pink. Rushing over, she asked, "What happened to Natsu?"

"Oh, nothing," she answered with a shrug. "His motion sickness just started acting up, so he went tumbling down the hill. He's not hurt too badly. Gray is over there making sure Gajeel is okay."

Lucy helped Natsu into a sitting position. A gasp slipped past her lips as she found blood trickling from his nose.

"You're bleeding, Natsu!" she said. "Come on, let's get you back to the cabin. We'll see you guys tomorrow."

"My stomach…" the boy groaned being forced up to his feet. He was thankful Lucy kept him steady on his feet. He was even more thankful that it was just his nose bleeding and not another part of his body. It would've been pretty hard to explain why his wound just miraculously healed on its own.

Then again, he could always get her drunk enough to black out and forget about it like last time.

Lucy guided Natsu back to the lift. If his stomach wasn't churning enough before, it had to be swirling around like a washing machine going back down the mountain. Lucy did her best to try and help him, combing her hands through his hair and humming a soft tune, but it didn't help at all. His motion sickness was worse than usual.

* * *

Once they finally made it back to their cabin, Natsu was feeling considerably better. His stomach had started to calm, his nose stopped bleeding, and his face regained its color. He tore off his boots and plopped on the bed with a sigh. The corners of his mouth were tugged down in a pout.

"Are you upset that you lost the bet?" Lucy asked, moving to sit by him.

Natsu shook his head. "I'm annoyed because my motion sickness ruins everything. Riding in cars, dates with you, trips with our friends, it's always gettin' in the damn way!"

"Nobody is upset with you for it!"

"Yeah, I know. But still. I just wanna have one good day without it ruining everything. Tomorrow is gonna be the same way."

"Hmm. Are you feeling better right now?" Lucy asked, quirking a brow.

"Yeah, but not enough to go back on the chairlift. Why?"

The girl hopped out of bed. "Come on! Let's go get you some motion sickness pills! That way, you'll be able to have fun tomorrow!"

"It's a long walk, and I know you're tired from having to help me all the way here," Natsu replied, his frown deepening.

"I don't care about that! I want you to have fun on this trip, so let's go!"

Natsu rose to his feet with a smile. "Alright. Thanks, Luce."

"Don't mention it," she replied, flashing him a grin of her own. Sliding her hand in his, she laced their fingers together.

Stepping outside, a shiver ran up Lucy's body. The snow was thick on the mountain, blanketing the ground. During the time that it took to carry Natsu back to the cabin, the sun had started to set. Now, the sky had turned black, stars twinkling overhead.

Snow fell from the sky, covering the path that led to the store. Luckily, Natsu already knew where they were going. Lucy had a feeling that if she was separated from him, she'd get lost immediately considering the cabins were so far from each other and they were surrounded by woods. Lampposts were scarce.

"So, who ended up winning your bet?" Lucy asked, glancing up at Natsu.

He pouted like a child. "That damn stripper did. But that's only 'cause I was sick! If I wasn't, I woulda won!"

Lucy nodded. "Mhmm. I'm sure you would."

"Is that sarcasm I'm hearing?"

"Well, it's just that Gray is known for being good at this stuff."

"I can beat him!"

"Then you can prove it tomorrow since you'll have your motion sickness pills," Lucy said with a chuckle.

Natsu gave a face-splitting grin. "I'm all fired up!" He was about to continue when he heard the snow behind them crunch. Throwing a discreet glance over his shoulder so that he wouldn't worry Lucy, he looked for the source of the noise, praying there wasn't a bear there. Not finding anything, he shrugged the noise up to be a squirrel and faced forward.

However, once he heard another crunch in the snow, he stopped in his tracks.

Lucy glanced over to Natsu. His gaze was serious as he looked behind them. Worried, she followed his gaze, only finding a thicket of trees.

"Natsu?" she called out, her voice laced with concern. "Is something wrong?"

He ignored her, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement. His gut was telling him that something was wrong, and he trusted his gut.

"There's something there," Natsu whispered.

Lucy's eyes widened, her heartrate speeding up. "W-What? What is it?"

"I don't know."

"Are you sure it's not just a squirrel?"

Natsu shook his head. "My gut is telling me it's something else."

Lucy clutched onto his arm, whipping her head around to survey their surroundings. "S-Should we run?"

"Running could just trigger whatever it is." Taking slow steps back the way they came, he looked for any clues as to what was out there with them, lurking behind the trees. It could have been a bear, a wolf, even a mountain lion. Whatever it was, he had a bad feeling about it.

He was about to take another step forward when he found a trail of footprints in the snow. They were human.

Natsu heaved a sigh of relief. "Very funny, Gray. Come out already, idiot."

They heard a rustle of a bush to their right, along with crunching snow as someone stepped out of the woods. Wearing a black hoodie, their face was covered.

"That's not funny, Gray!" Lucy scolded, planting her hands on her hips as the man approached. "I thought you were a bear or something!"

Natsu eyed him. The closer the man got, the clearer it became that he wasn't Gray. He was shorter, his walk was different, and even Gray wouldn't try to scare Lucy that badly. Stepping in front of Lucy, Natsu glared at the hooded figure that stood just a few feet in front of them.

"Who the hell are you?" he spat.

Lucy's brows shot up to her hairline as she glanced between the two. Looking over Natsu's shoulder, she watched as the man removed his hood, revealing shaggy locks of dirty-blonde hair. Under his eyes were dark bags. His eyes were bloodshot.

"U-Umm, hello?" she called out. "Who are you?"

The man pulled a shaky hand out from his pocket. Lucy's stomach dropped to the ground as she found a gun in his hand pointed directly at Natsu.

"O-Oh god," she breathed out, tears immediately pricking her wide eyes. Her stomach felt like it was doing flips, her shaky hands flying to her mouth.

Natsu sucked in a sharp breath, a rush of fear washing over him. All color drained from his face, not of fear of being shot, but fear that the man was going to hurt Lucy. Holding his hands up in surrender, he inched closer to Lucy so that he could shield her.

"What do you want? Do you want our money?" Natsu asked, his voice low.

The man nodded. His eyes were brimmed with tears and he was shaking like a leaf. It was obvious this was his first time doing anything like this before.

"I-I need it," he said, his voice unsteady. "I-I have a family and I need to do whatever it takes to take care of them."

Natsu nodded, slowly reaching into his pocket to grab the few bills he brought to buy the motion sickness pills. It was only seven dollars total. Swallowing thickly, he slowly held his hand out to the man.

"This is all we have," he said, hoping he could reason with the distraught father and get him to walk away.

The man looked at the money and shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "You're lying!"

"I'm not lying. This is really all we have."

"You expect me to believe that? You rich people are always coming to this resort and flaunting your money around like it's nothing! I know you have more! Hand it over!" The man shook the gun, threatening to shoot.

Lucy took a deep breath. Before, she was never afraid of death. She knew that if she died, she would just be born again moments later. Now that she had Natsu, however, she was terrified of dying because it meant she would never be able to see him again.

But if it meant he got to live, she would die a million times.

Lucy glared at the man as she stepped in front of Natsu, the gun just feet away from her chest.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted. "What the hell are you doing!?"

Ignoring him, she spoke only to the man in front of her. "It's obvious you don't want to do this, so don't. Just walk away and be with your family."

"Shut up!" he yelled, fisting his hair with his unoccupied hand.

"Your kids don't want money, they just need you to be in their lives. If you pull the trigger, you won't be there to support them anymore because you'll be in jail. Is that really what you want?"

"I said shut the hell up! You don't know what it's like! Just hand the money over!"

"We already told you, we don't have any."

"Quit lying to me! I am so sick and tired of being lied to!"

Lucy's eyes narrowed at him. "We both know you aren't going to shoot. Just go already!"

The man ran a hand through his hair. "I-If you don't give me the money, I'm really going to shoot."

Lucy stood her ground, daring her luck by taking a step closer to him. "Then do it already! I'm not afraid! Shoot!"

Natsu's heart felt like it was beating a mile per minute as he kept his eyes glued on the gun. It was pointed directly at Lucy's chest. He could tell the man was getting antsy.

"I-I can't go to jail," he said, his hand shaking violently.

"Then just turn around and go," Lucy implored. "We won't tell anyone about this, we swear."

"I-I don't believe you."

"It's true! You have my word! We won't tell anyone!"

The man swallowed thickly, shaking his head. He let out a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry."

Natsu watched the man position the gun directly over Lucy's heart. His fingers tightened around the gun.

And then he pulled the trigger.

* * *

 **AN:** Lol.

Thank you to the reviewers: **crybaby-chronicles, ilginege, MasterGildarts, KarinStalker24, Guest, stranger1999, hazelnutdonut, valerioux, GothBanshee, Pink Butter Frog, Golden Dragon, Guest, Stubenhocker, Alexa60765, shootingstarssel, Mrs I don't care, XxStar'sDustxX, Cher, Guest, RedViolet11, Rosey-Chan, mehshellgarery, Mandapandaa, FairyTailxFanGirl, Guest, Soul Eater Maka, BeachBumBabe, KYAAAA, M2Anne, Silent night16, Forbidden-Hanyou, MillennialStargazer, dareaderreads, Guest, Duchixx, LO Mary May.**


	28. Chapter 28

**AN:** Alright, I'm not sure if I described the ending last chapter well enough but here we go. I feel weirdly productive now that I'm away from home and for some reason all I wanna do is write? Like this is the third update in one week. Unbelievable.

* * *

Chapter 28

A flash of pink. Drops of red. A trembling hand flew to Lucy's mouth as her knees hit the ice-cold ground. She could faintly hear the gun drop to the snow as its owner took off in a sprint, unprepared to deal with the consequences of his actions. Her eyes burned with fresh tears that rolled down her cheeks as she stared absently at the blood that seeped into the snow.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It wasn't supposed to be this way. _She_ was supposed to be the one who took the bullet. Instead…

"No…" she breathed out, her hands fisting her hair. Shaking her head, she tried to rein in her thoughts. Her lips quivered, salty tears trickling past the corners of her mouth. "No…"

There in front of her laid Natsu, his body still. Even under the dark sky, she could make out the crimson blood that spilled from the hole in his chest. His eyes were peacefully closed, his mouth parted slightly. He looked calm, as if he could feel none of the pain that accompanied being shot.

As if he were lifeless.

A sob slipped past Lucy's lips. Squeezing her eyes shut, she leaned over Natsu's body. Her head pounded as if someone was hitting her repeatedly with a bat, and her stomach churned with each passing second.

This couldn't be happening.

"I-It's okay," she whispered, squeezing her arm underneath Natsu's head so she could pull him closer to her. "You're okay, Natsu. You're going to be okay." Slowly starting to regain control over her hazy thoughts, she fished inside her pocket with a shaky hand, only to remember that she left her phone in the cabin.

"Help!" she shouted, her voice not nearly as loud as she needed it to be. "S-Somebody help!"

She looked down at Natsu again. There were still no signs of life.

"P-Please," she choked out, followed by a sob. Her eyes traveled down to the wound, dread filling her body when she saw that it was where his heart was. With an injury like that…

"Damn it!" she shouted. Her lungs felt like they were shrinking with each passing second, making it harder to breathe. Resting her forehead over his, she shattered. She could feel herself sobbing, she knew it had to have been loud, but she couldn't even hear it. She couldn't feel the snow pressed against her legs, she couldn't hear her cries, and she couldn't feel the warm blood that oozed onto her hand.

She couldn't feel a thing.

"Why!?" she cried out in agony, clutching his body tightly. "Why did you jump in front of me? I-If it hit me, I would've just been reborn! B-But you!"

Another sob raked through her body. Her throat ached. She felt like she was going to pass out.

"I should've been the one to die!" Lucy shouted, pounding a fist into the snow. Her knuckles stung, her skin raw. "I was supposed to be the one to die! Not you!" Hanging her head back, she glared at the stars that twinkled above her. "Don't you fucking _dare_ take him! Haven't I suffered enough!? Don't take him from me too! He doesn't deserve it! He doesn't-!"

Slapping a hand to her mouth, Lucy gently settled Natsu back on the ground before turning away. Hunched over, she threw up onto the snow.

When it was over, she was left numb. Her mind was empty, lost of the tiny hope she had that he could possibly be alive.

He was gone.

Nobody could possibly survive being shot in the heart.

He was dead.

Lucy slowly turned her head back to face Natsu. Her stomach dropped to the floor finding that his eyes still hadn't opened. They weren't troubled or pained. They were calm as ever, as if he was sleeping.

But she knew he wasn't.

With another sob, she scooted closer to him, ignoring the way the packed snow scratched her knees. She rested her head over his stomach, holding onto him tightly as she cried. She didn't know how much time passed while she laid over him, and she didn't care. She didn't give a damn about anything at that point. All she wanted was to die and to never be reborn again.

Eventually, she went so numb that she couldn't even cry anymore. She just laid there, a shell of a woman. She knew that she should go find the others. She wasn't prepared to deal with this on her own. She knew that they had the right to know what happened as well.

But she just couldn't get herself to move.

A shaky breath slipped past her lips. She had to go. She had to find the others. It was the right thing to do, even if it seemed impossible. But every time she willed herself to move, she remembered why she had to in the first place, and it brought her right back to square one.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy counted down in her head. When she reached zero, she finally lifted her head. It felt heavy, and the world felt like it was spinning around her. Trying to rise to her feet, she collapsed face-first into the snow.

So, she tried to crawl. Anything she could do to get her one step closer to everyone else. It was what he would've wanted.

She was about to start crawling when a strange sound caught her attention. It was an odd, sizzling sound. Unsure of what could be the source, she glanced around in hopes of another person who could get help.

Unfortunately, she and Natsu were the only ones in the woods.

Glancing back at Natsu, she was prepared to be hit with a fresh wave of tears. Instead, she found that the noise was coming from him. With a set raised brows, she crawled on her hands and knees back over to him.

What she found made her heart stop.

* * *

Natsu furrowed his brows as he started to regain consciousness. With it, pain erupted from his chest. It was a pain unlike anything he'd felt before, even worse than when he accidentally sliced his neck on a stick as a kid. Groaning, he forced his eyes open, squinting up at a familiar set of wide, tear-filled brown eyes.

"Lucy?" he choked out. A metallic taste filled his mouth as he spat out blood. Then it all came rushing back at him. Their walk for motion sickness pills, the man with the gun, jumping in front of Lucy, the pain when the bullet went through him, he remembered it all.

The corners of his lips twitched upwards into a miniscule smile. It was the biggest he could pull off with the amount of pain he was in and with his exhaustion.

"Thank god…" he breathed out, closing his eyes. He made it in time. He saved her.

Surprised that Lucy hadn't said a word, he looked up at her again with an arched brow. Her eyes were large, her gaze not meeting his. Her mouth was gaped open. Wondering what it was that had snared her attention, he followed her gaze.

Once he saw it, his body was filled with dread.

His body had begun its healing process. It was rejecting the bullet, pushing it slowly out the hole it created in his chest. When it was pushed out all the way, it rolled off his chest and landed in the snow. A sizzling sound came from his wound as the bullet-hole started to close on its own.

In no time, he was good as new.

Tears pricked Natsu's eyes as he shot up in a sitting position. The pain of being shot was gone now, but there was a new kind of pain in his body as he found the fearful expression on her face. She frantically whipped her head from the rejected bullet to his face.

"I-I can explain," he choked out, reaching a hand towards her.

Only for her to back away from him.

It felt like he had been shot right in the heart again. His heart had been ripped out of his chest and stomped on just from the simple movement.

It was over. Everything that he had built with her was destroyed, just in a matter of minutes.

With hot tears trickling down his face, Natsu shot up to his feet and made a run for it into the woods without looking back. Branches scraped his arms, bushes scratched at his legs, but it didn't matter as they all healed on their own while he ran. He felt sick to his stomach, his head was a jumbled mess, and he felt broken. Every time he blinked, he pictured Lucy's fearful gaze pointed at him.

She'd never been afraid of him before.

Tripping over a root in the ground, Natsu fell to his hands and knees. He ignored the stinging pain, curling into a fetal position, tugging at his hair. A cry wrangled its way out his mouth. His life was over.

He would have to go back into hiding and he would never be able to see Lucy again. The worst part of it all was knowing that she didn't want to see him anyways.

Clutching onto his scarf, he prayed for some comfort. Before, it had always been able to make him feel better. Only now, he was starting to think nothing would help him.

* * *

Lucy sat still, stunned. Her mind had yet to process what she had just saw. She knew that Natsu shouldn't have been alive. He got shot in the heart, for god's sake. And even if he did somehow live through it, there was no way in hell the bullet would've risen out of his body and his wound would have miraculously closed on its own.

She must've passed out earlier. She had to have been dreaming. And yet, at the same time, she knew she wasn't.

Nothing made sense. The pounding of her head only got worse.

Just what the hell happened? First Natsu was dead, then he sat up as if he hadn't been shot.

Shaking her head, Lucy forced herself up to her feet. It didn't matter what happened. All that mattered was he was alive.

Her lips tugged downwards into a frown as she pictured his face from earlier. He looked so broken, and it was all because of her. It was just that she was so shocked earlier, she didn't know what to think. She had to make things right.

Her legs wobbled beneath her, but her steely resolve kept her afloat. She needed to find Natsu and get the truth. And more importantly, she had to tell him she loved him.

It was hard to walk at first, but after taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down and clear her head, she was ready. Following the scarce lampposts, she stayed on the trail, running until she made it to Gray and Juvia's cabin. Whatever the truth about Natsu was, she was sure that they were in on it.

Banging on the door, she waited until it swung open to reveal Gray, shirtless as ever.

"Lucy?" he asked. Concern etched his features immediately as he found the blood that stained her hands and clothes. "Lucy, what the hell happened? Are you-"

"I need your help," the girl interrupted. "I need your help to find Natsu."

"Natsu?"

"I-It's a long story, I don't have time to go over it. Just help me find him."

Gray's eyes widened as he glanced down at the blood, finally connecting the dots.

"Th-That's not your blood, is it?" he asked. Juvia stood beside him, curious as to what was happening.

"No, it's Natsu's," Lucy answered. She could tell that Gray knew she was in on their secret now as he bared his teeth and stared at the floor. "Look, we can talk about this later, okay? I just need to find Natsu."

Gray casted her a suspicious look, wary of what her intentions were now that she knew the truth. Still, finding Natsu was his top priority as well. Wherever he was, he was sure to be a mess.

"Yeah, we'll help," he said, grabbing his coat. "Juvia, go tell Erza and the others what happened, then have everyone split up and look for Natsu."

Juvia glanced at Lucy in the corner of her eye. "What about…"

"I'll stay with Lucy. For now, we just have to find Natsu. We'll figure out the rest later."

They separated outside the cabin, Gray and Lucy running to check out the woods while Juvia ran down the path towards Gajeel and Levy's cabin.

"So, what exactly happened?" Gray asked, following Lucy back the way she came from.

Lucy shook her head, trying to drive away the image of Natsu jumping in front of her and taking the bullet.

"Natsu got shot," Lucy answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Wait, what!? He got shot!? What happened to the person that shot him?"

"He ran away after. But don't worry, he left the gun behind. We can still turn that into the cops so that they can find him."

Gray grabbed Lucy's wrists, stopping her in her tracks.

"About that, we can't go to the cops," he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Why not?" Lucy asked, giving him an incredulous look. "He _shot_ Natsu. You're telling me we're supposed to just let him get away?"

"Look, I'll explain later. For now, just take me to the place he shot Natsu. I have to get the gun and the bullet."

Lucy wrangled her arm free from his grasp. "What the hell is wrong with you? Natsu- _your friend_ \- got shot! And you're here worrying about some stupid gun?"

"Lucy, I'm doing this _for_ Natsu. Please, I promise we'll explain everything. We have to hurry."

Narrowing her eyes at the boy, she nodded reluctantly. Leading him back to the site, she took a deep breath. She could picture Natsu's lifeless body, his blood oozing into the snow. It was a sight she wanted to erase from her memory.

"It's around here somewhere," she said, clearing her throat. The snow had covered all of the evidence, but she could never forget where it happened. "It shouldn't be that deep under the snow. We can find it."

The two sifted their hands through the snow slowly so that they wouldn't somehow accidentally set off the gun. It didn't take long before Lucy's fingertips brushed against something metallic. Having never touched a gun before, she was wary of holding it in her hands, but she pulled it out of the snow regardless.

"I found it!" she called out. Gray rushed over to her immediately. "The bullet should be around here too."

"Yeah, I think I found it," he replied, plucking the bullet out from the snow.

Lucy felt sick to her stomach as she could make out the blood that lingered on it.

"All that's left is finding Natsu. He ran that way after what happened, but I don't know if he kept straight or turned to throw me off his tracks. And it doesn't help that the snow covered his footprints."

"Don't worry," Gray said, resting his hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him. C'mon. He couldn't have gotten too far."

They ran into the woods, deep into the thickets. Lucy's heart pounded in her chest. She hoped they'd find Natsu soon. She could only imagine what he was feeling right now.

" _This must be the big secret,"_ she thought, finally starting to connect the dots of all the strange incidents that happened since they met. He was like her! Well, sort of. He was an outcast in his own way, but they were still similar!

It was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Through an odd stroke of luck, she had managed to find someone with just as rare circumstances as her own.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted. "Where are you?"

"Natsu!" Lucy joined in. "Come out already! I just want to talk!"

As expected, they were met with no reply. With a sigh of defeat, Lucy followed Gray deeper into the woods, keeping their eyes peeled for Natsu.

Finally, she found him.

In the corner of her eye, she saw slight movement. She would've chalked it up to be a small creature, but with the pink tufts of hair sticking out, she could tell it was him.

Taking a deep breath, she ran towards him, stopping just at his feet.

"I finally found you," she said between pants.

Natsu flinched from the sound of her voice. Instead of meeting her gaze, he buried his face deeper in his scarf. Snow dusted his body, but he couldn't feel the cold.

"Natsu, please look at me," Lucy begged. Once again, she went ignored. With a soft sigh, she kneeled beside him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched him cower away from her. "Natsu, can we talk?"

"Lucy, please just leave me alone," he replied, his voice cracking under the strain of his emotions. He had never been close to any mortals before Lucy, and now that she found out his secret, there was no telling what she thought of him. He'd heard all about how the mortals thought of them from the other immortals' experiences. They were freaks. Monsters. They weren't deserving of the infinite life that they had. They were cursed. She was probably disgusted with him, and he couldn't even blame her. It was true. He was a monster, and she was probably going to turn him into some sort of research facility because of it.

"Natsu, I just want to talk about what happened," Lucy said. She could hear Gray's footsteps coming to a stop a few feet behind her to give them space. "I-I can't say that I understand everything. I'm not entirely sure what happened, so I was hoping you could explain it to me."

"What's there to explain? I'm a freak! That's it, Lucy! Now go!"

"You aren't a freak, Natsu." The corners of her lips pulled downwards into a frown. She'd never seen the boy so distraught before. Slowly reaching out, she gently ran her fingers through his hair, hoping to convey her feelings in the small movement. He flinched under her touch, but he didn't pull away.

"You aren't a freak," she repeated, fresh tears building up in her eyes. Her throat burned as the lump in it built up. "You are the sweetest person I know. You care about all of your friends, you are always making me laugh, and you are the one that fills my life with adventure. You're loud, you have no sense of boundaries at times, and you are the most mischievous person I know, but you are not a freak. I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

Natsu slowly sat up, still unable to meet her gaze. His face was wet with melted snow and his own tears. Wiping his sleeve over his cheek, the boy released a shaky breath.

"Then you must not have really seen it," he said.

Lucy shook her head. "No, I did see it. But that still doesn't change the fact that you aren't a freak. You're a weirdo, but not a freak."

Natsu gave a dry laugh, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. "You're the weirdo."

"Nope. You are. But that's okay. I love you anyways."

Lucy threw her arms around Natsu, savoring his warmth. It was surprising that even after laying in the snow for so long, his body still had an abnormal heat to it. Natsu sighed, running his fingers- which were red thanks to the snow- through her hair.

Pulling away, Lucy gave him a teary smile. Releasing a shaky breath, she grabbed onto his hands tightly.

"I just want to let you know that you don't ever have to worry about me telling anyone about your secret because… W-Well, there's something I want to share with you," she started, her heart pounding in her chest. Her stomach felt like it was doing flips.

Natsu arched a brow. "What is it?"

"The reason you don't have to worry about me not telling anyone is because I'm like you."

Natsu and Gray shared a glance.

"Wait, what?" the former asked, his eyes wide. "Are you an immortal too? Holy shit, I thought you were, but then I started doubting myself because-!"

"What? No, I'm not an immortal," Lucy interrupted, shaking her head. Then her jaw dropped. "Wait, is that what you are!?"

"Huh? Yeah. I thought that's where you were going with that."

"Wait, you're telling me that you're an immortal? As in, you live forever?"

"Uhh, yeah. That's kinda the gist of it.

Lucy blinked once, then twice, her jaw still gaping open. "W-Wow. That is a lot to process. I-I have so many questions, I'm not even sure where to start."

"How about you tell us what you meant when you said you're like us?" Gray chimed in. As happy as he was for Natsu that Lucy wasn't running off screaming, it didn't change the fact that a mortal now knew their secret. It wasn't going to be a walk in the park from here on out. In fact, the most likely outcome would be that they were going to be sent off to another base to hide.

"Oh right," Lucy said, slapping a hand to her forehead. Taking a deep breath, she met Natsu's gaze again. "I may not be an immortal, but I have a secret of my own."

"What is it?" Natsu asked. Curiosity ebbed at him. He knew she had a secret, that much was obvious. He just didn't know what it could be if it wasn't immortality.

"The truth is, I reincarnate every time I die. It's not like how it is in the movies though. I retain all of my memories and looks from my previous lives."

Natsu's brows shot up to his hairline. As unbelievable as it sounded, it oddly made sense. Then he remembered the night of her first sleepover with the rest of the girls, when he had snuck over to her apartment during the middle of the night.

 _Natsu stared at Lucy. Seconds ago, the atmosphere was light, and it seemed like they were having a nice moment. In fact, he could've sworn he saw her lean in. His hopes had told him it was for a kiss. But now, she was frowning and staring at the stars. She usually smiled when she did that._

 _"Lucy? Are you okay?" Natsu asked in concern. He loved her smile and hated seeing her upset. Did he do something wrong?_

 _Lucy's gaze never wavered, her stare glued to the sky above. "Natsu, do you believe in reincarnation?"_

 _"Reincarnation?"_

 _"The act of being reborn after you die. Do you believe in it?"_

 _Natsu frowned. He knew what it meant, but he didn't know where the question was coming from. Just what exactly was on her mind? Seeing as how Lucy's gaze hadn't moved, he figured he needed to tread lightly. To answer her question to the best of his ability._

 _Did he believe in reincarnation? He'd thought about it a few times, but that was before he found out he was immortal. Now, it didn't apply to him. But could it apply to the mortals?_

 _"I don't think I do," he finally answered, rubbing the back of his head. He figured that if they weren't cursed with being immortal like he was, then their lives just simply ended. He had no clue what came after death, but the thought of mortals being reincarnated while his life continued forever didn't make sense to him for some reason._

 _Lucy smiled, but Natsu noticed immediately that it didn't reach her eyes. Had he messed up? Did she want him to say that he believed in reincarnation?_

 _Hoping to fix it, Natsu said, "Reincarnation sounds awesome though!" Wanting to lighten the mood, he joked, "I just hope I wouldn't be reincarnated as Gray's son or somethin' like that."_

 _Lucy didn't seem to find any humor in his comment. She still hadn't looked at him. He hated it._

"Holy shit," Natsu breathed out. "It all makes sense now!"

"It does?" Gray asked, arching a brow in suspicion. "It kinda seems a little…"

"Farfetched?" Lucy finished for him with a dry laugh. Nervously rubbing the back of her head, she continued, "Yeah, I know. It sounds crazy. But it's the truth."

"Lucy, you know I care about you a lot but it's a little too crazy to believe."

"C'mon, Gray!" Natsu exclaimed. "Why would Lucy lie about something like that?"

"I don't know," the other boy answered with a shrug. "Maybe to get you to cheer up? Or maybe let your guard down so that-"

"So that I can what?" Lucy asked with a glare. "So that I can betray him? Seriously, Gray, in all this time you _still_ don't trust me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, Lucy! But someone has to think realistically about this whole thing, and Natsu's too close to you to be able to think rationally. The truth is, some of us have been hurt before, and I'm not gonna let that happen again."

"I wouldn't hurt you guys! You know that!"

Natsu frowned watching the two of them go back and forth. As much as he wanted to side with Lucy, he couldn't deny that Gray made some good points.

"Why don't we go back to the cabins?" he suggested. "We can talk about it there. Get out of the cold."

"Fine," Gray said with a sigh. Grabbing his phone out of his pocket, he shot Juvia a quick text. "I let Juvia know that we found you and to meet us at your cabin."

At that, all the color drained out of Natsu's face. "Wait, does everyone else know that Lucy found out about our secret?"

"Yep. Including Erza and Gajeel. You're gonna get your ass handed to you, that's for sure."

Natsu gulped. He contemplated staying in the woods. He could start a new life with Lucy, one where Erza could never find him and strangle him for letting their secret get exposed.

"Come on," Lucy said, dragging him by his scarf. "You're going to have to explain it to them sooner or later."

"No I don't!" Natsu argued. "C'mon, Luce! We could run away! Start new lives together! Just you and me!"

She rolled her eyes. "I've started enough new lives to know that it's not as fun as you think it is."

* * *

Reaching the cabin, Natsu really considered running away. Unfortunately, Lucy's hold on his scarf hadn't budged in the slightest. Following Gray and Lucy inside, it was no surprise that a punch was immediately thrown to his face.

Falling to the floor with a loud thump, Natsu groggily rubbed the soon-to-be-bruised spot.

"What the hell!?" he shouted. First he was shot to the heart and now this. He just couldn't catch a break that day.

Erza loomed over him, her shadow casting over his face. Her hands were planted on her hips, her brows were furrowed, and her lips were drawn in a thin line.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" she shouted, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him up to his feet so that she can stare into his eyes with her menacing gaze. "Have you lost your mind? How could you tell Lucy about us!?"

"I didn't tell her!" Natsu argued, holding his hands up in surrender. "It wasn't my choice!"

Erza threw him back on the floor. "Explain. _Now."_

"Alright, alright! Look, this crazy guy came up to me and Lucy with a gun. It was pointed right at her! I took the bullet for her since I'm an immortal and then she saw my body healing itself. It wasn't my fault!"

Erza threw her hands in the air, marching around the quaint cabin. Everyone moved out of her way, scared to be in the way of her tirade.

"Everything is compromised. Our safety, our home. All of it."

"No, no! Listen to this! Lucy's one of us!"

At that, the entire group whipped their heads towards Lucy.

"You're an immortal?" Juvia asked.

"Wait, that can't be," Levy answered. "I remember seeing Lu-chan accidentally cut her finger while cutting vegetables. It didn't heal on its own. She can't be an immortal."

"I'm not," Lucy chimed in. Her cheeks flushed under their inquisitive stares. "I'm not an immortal, but I reincarnate."

The group went silent, none of them making a sound until Gajeel stood up from his spot on the bed. He marched over to the blonde, his crimson eyes boring into hers. It was the first time in so long that she'd ever seen him so suspicious of her.

"I told you guys that befriending her was a bad idea," he spat. "Look what happened! Now she's gonna go blabbing about us to the world! I knew we shouldn't trust her!"

"What the hell is your problem?" Lucy shot back, hands on her hips. "I'm still the same me that I was before! Nothing's changed!"

Gajeel grabbed her by the wrist, his hold tight as he sneered, "You're right. Nothing's changed. You're still the same mortal that I had a bad feeling about."

"Gajeel, let go of her!" Natsu shouted, lunging towards him only to be blocked by Erza.

"He's right," she said. Her face was stern, but her eyes were pooled with sadness. "Befriending Lucy was a mistake. We've compromised our safety, along with everyone else's, and now we have to pay the price."

Lucy blinked back hot tears. She'd had enough crying for the day. Snatching her arm out of Gajeel's hold, she glared at all of them.

"What? Now our friendship means nothing to you guys?" she spat. "Gajeel, who was it you confided in about proposing to Levy-chan?"

The boy tore his gaze away, muttering below his breath.

Lucy turned to Erza and continued, "Erza, who was it that lent you clothes and did your makeup so that you can go on your date with Jellal? And Gray, who was it that helped you plan the perfect date with Juvia? Me! It was all me! Our friendship is important to me whether you're immortal or not and I'm not going to let you guys pretend that it all meant nothing!"

"Lu-chan…" Levy started, wiping a tear out the corner of her eye. "It's not that you mean nothing to us, it's just that we don't have a choice…"

"Don't have a choice? I just told you my biggest secret! You're telling me that you _still_ can't be friends with me?"

"Lucy's right," Natsu chimed in. "She's not just a mortal. She reincarnates!"

"You believe that bullshit?" Gajeel asked incredulously. "Natsu, look, we get that she's your girlfriend, but you can't go putting everyone else's lives in danger because of it!"

Lucy's eyes widened as she remembered something. "I have proof!" After everyone turned to face her, she continued, "I have a locket back home with a picture of me that was taken over sixty years ago."

Natsu grinned from cheek-to-cheek. "I knew it! I knew that locket meant something!"

She nodded. "It has a picture of me from my first lifetime with my first set of parents. It's proof that I reincarnate. We can go back to my place first thing tomorrow and I'll prove it to you." At their skeptical glances, she continued, "You guys owe me that much. Just give me the benefit of the doubt. I promise I'm not lying to you."

"Fine," Gajeel replied. "But we're goin' with you inside! Can't have you photoshopping it."

"I suppose this sounds reasonable," Erza said with a nod. "If Lucy is telling us the truth, then Natsu is right. She's not like any other mortal. We can take her to see Makarov and figure out what steps to take next." The redhead turned to Natsu. "But _,_ if she is lying, you _will_ do everything that I say for the benefit of our friends. That includes never seeing Lucy again. Do you agree to these terms?"

Natsu glanced at Lucy. He hated the thought of agreeing to something when it was a possibility he could never see Lucy again, but he trusted her. He knew that she wasn't lying to him.

"I agree," he said with a nod.

Erza sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Alright. That settles it. We'll find out the truth tomorrow. For now, let's just get some rest. We have to wake up early tomorrow to drive home. Oh, and Lucy, please hand over your phone."

"My phone?" the girl asked.

"Yes. It is just in case."

"You mean just in case I tell the world your secret?" Lucy sighed, handing over her phone. "Fine. But you guys are going to look really silly tomorrow when I prove I'm right."

Gajeel glared at her.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

 **AN:** And there it is! The secrets are finally out! Hope you guys liked it!

And thank you SOOOO much to all of the reviewers! I got a lot of reviews on last chapter and it made me really happy. :') And a lot of them were so freaking funny lmao. So thank you to: **Guest, Meow Orbit, WhatAnimeHasTaughtMe, CoffeeMaster16, XxCelestialPrincessxX, hazelnutdonut, shootingstarssel, Lunar13, JuiceBox16, Alexa60765, Cher, Kanata-Sama, Guest, Kylnee, Abdltf, Guest, BeachBumBabe, Guest, Mrs I don't care, MasterGildarts, fairytaillif3, KawaiiKitsune13, Guest, MillennialStargazer, TerraBell, nationalcarmen, mumof4, Guest, moonluver92, cfmonkey15, ilginege, stranger1999, Daydream-wannabewriter, Anna5949, Stavroula99, Lodemai04, Guest, Jazminee18, MissYukkina, Lulumo, KYAAAA, ddddd, MissVarta, RedViolet11, Bakers28, KatanaNoNeko, naluqueen69, valerioux, Anon, Dark Shining Light, nosserate, Starstruck-MJ, CathJorda, FangirlOfLiterallyEverything, slmo, Guest, FairyTailxFanGirl, FairyRains, fcbarcelona907, CodenameMise, Mandapandaa, BakaFangirl, Lara, Wolfcry77, beefcakebarbierenewed, Silent night16, lkityan02, Duchixx, Guest, Ctay1621.** How about leavin' another review since I updated so fast. ;D Anyways, see you next time! :D


	29. Chapter 29

**AN:** Hello again. It's 4 in the morning but here you go. Prepare to learn some history. :D

* * *

Chapter 29

The Immortals

The car ride home was insufferable. Lucy could feel Gajeel's glare piercing the back of her head, Erza chose to sit in between her and Natsu- which she could only assume was to keep him away from her- and nobody had said a single word since the night before. Even the music that Gray so graciously played in hopes of lightening the mood did nothing to ease the tension. The negative aura was thick, and it felt like she was being suffocated with everyone's blatant stares.

All she had to do was show them the locket. Inside was proof that she wasn't just twenty years old. Still, part of her wondered if that was going to be good enough for them. Technically, she was still a mortal, and if Gajeel's dirty looks were enough to go off of, they had some pretty bad run-ins with mortals who knew of their secret.

A sigh slipped past Lucy's lips. All she wanted was to go on a ski trip with her friends. Couldn't she just have one day without some bad luck interfering with her plans?

Turning her head, she glanced past Erza to look at Natsu. As if feeling her stare, he turned towards her and gave her a show-stopping grin that somehow managed to chip away at her anxiety.

Her lips curled into a grin. At least there was one good thing that happened on the trip. The secrets that strained their relationship were now out in the open. She could _finally_ be her true self around people. That is, being a girl who reincarnates. She didn't have to hold back on details, she didn't have to lie, and she didn't have to keep her lives straight anymore.

She was sure the same went for Natsu. Sure, he had a group of friends that shared his immortality, but he must've felt the same way about her. Now, he didn't have to lie to her about anything.

Everything felt so easy now.

Or at least it should have if it weren't for her overly skeptical friends.

Seriously, they were immortals for god's sake! Their bodies healed at abnormal rates and they never aged. Why was it so weird that she reincarnated? When they got to her apartment, she was going to make sure to rub it in their sorry faces and demand an apology. It was the least they could do after putting her through the wringer.

* * *

Reaching Lucy's apartment, the group stretched their legs outside. After being trapped in the silent car for the past four hours, they were relieved to finally be free of its confines.

"I'll go grab the locket and prove how ridiculous you guys are being," Lucy said, heading to the steps to her apartment when Gajeel blocked her path.

"Oi, remember our deal?" he asked, peering down at her. "We go together. Gotta make sure you ain't cheating."

"How in the world could I cheat? This isn't some contest, you know?"

"You could photoshop it or something!"

"How would I even have time to do that?"

"Doesn't matter! We're all comin' with you!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. Grabbing her suitcase out of the trunk, she rolled it behind her as she walked to her apartment, making sure to run over Gajeel's toes in the process.

"Fine. Come on then," she said. She couldn't deny that her feelings were hurt. After all they'd been through, they still couldn't trust her? The only thing that made her feel better was knowing that Natsu believed her, even without needing to see the proof that lied within her locket.

Waiting for everyone to finish putting their luggage aside, Lucy headed towards the bathroom. The group followed closely behind as if they were little ducklings trailing after their mother.

"The bathroom's small, so some of you might want to stand out in the hall," Lucy suggested.

"Nonsense," Erza replied. "We can all huddle together."

Lucy sighed as the whole group squeezed themselves into the bathroom with her. The seven huddled together, their elbows poking into each other while Lucy stood a foot away by the tub. Bending over, she swiftly threw open the drawer, slamming it into Gajeel's shin. The boy jumped away with a yelp.

"Oops," she said with a shrug.

Gajeel rubbed the sore spot, glaring at the blonde. "Didja really hafta do that?"

"You deserved it. In fact, if you ask me, all of you deserve it. Other than Natsu, of course."

Natsu grinned. "I've got your back, Luce! Now hurry up and show us what's in the locket! I've been dying to know for weeks!"

Lucy smiled at him. Grabbing the tampon box, she dumped it out into the drawer. Sure enough, the locket fell out with a thud.

"So that's where you hid it!" Natsu exclaimed. He tried to push everyone out of his way so he could get a closer look, but with how cramped the bathroom was, he was stuck in place. "Wait, but I checked there for other evidence and there wasn't anything in there!"

"Wait, you checked for evidence? When? And for what?"

"While you were visitin' your old man. I kinda thought that you were an immortal too, so I looked through all your stuff for any clues. I didn't find anything!"

"Oh. That's because the only hard proof that I keep with me is this locket," Lucy explained, dangling it in the air. "I don't have access to anything else."

Before she could say another word, Gajeel snatched the necklace out of her hand.

"How is this supposed to prove anything?" he asked, his crimson eyes piercing hers.

"Open it, idiot," Lucy answered, crossing her arms over her chest expectantly.

Everyone peered over Gajeel's shoulders, watching as he opened the locket to reveal a black-and-white picture of Lucy between an older couple.

"I don't get it," Gray said.

Lucy sighed, grabbing the necklace from Gajeel's hand and carefully removing the photo. Unfolding its edges, she handed it back to the boy. "Look at the date at the corner."

Natsu's eyes widened as he read the date. It was over sixty years ago.

"Ha! I toldja she wasn't lying!" he exclaimed, slapping Gajeel upside the head.

"This doesn't prove anything!" the other boy barked. "This coulda been photoshopped!"

"When would she have photoshopped it, dumbass?" Gray asked. Somehow during their time in the bathroom, he had ended up shirtless.

"Gray's right," Levy chimed in. "There would've been no reason for Lu-chan to photoshop a fake date onto it when she didn't know about us until yesterday."

Juvia shrugged. "Juvia believed her last night, so this doesn't change anything."

"You did?" Lucy asked, her mouth parting.

"Yes. Considering Juvia is an immortal, it isn't impossible for other kinds of beings to exist."

"Oh my god, yes! Thank you for saying that, Juvia! Seriously, the rest of you are all just a bunch of hypocrites!"

"Yeah!" Natsu agreed, pushing past the others so that he could stand by Lucy. "You guys shoulda trusted her!"

Gajeel scoffed, crossing his arms over his burly chest. "I still don't believe it."

"Seriously?" Lucy asked with a groan. "You need more proof? Fine. Follow me." Slipping through the group, she led the way to the dining room where her laptop rested on the table. Opening up a searching browser, she started to type her name.

"I already looked you up," Gajeel said. "I didn't find anything that proves you reincarnate."

"That's because you were looking up the wrong name. My first name stays the same whenever I am reborn, but I am always born into a new family, so my last name changes. You looked up Lucy Heartfilia. The first name I went by was Lucy Ashley."

Pressing enter, the page was reloaded with multiple links. Most of them led to the social medias of other girls that went by the same name. Muttering incentives to herself, Lucy narrowed the search with details of her death and tried again. This time, a link to her obituary popped up. Clicking it, she was led to a page that showed some of her pictures, a brief description of her life, and an explanation of how she died. In the back of her head, she noted how strange it felt reading about her own death, but at the moment, she was too spiteful to care.

"Holy fuck," Gray breathed out, pulling a chair out next to Lucy.

"So it is true," Erza added, her eyes wide as she cupped her chin.

"That's what I've been telling you guys," Lucy said, standing from her seat so that she could face all of them with a glare. "But you didn't believe me."

"I apologize Lucy, but can you really blame us?"

"Yes! I can! I believed you guys about your immortality right away!"

"Yes, but you were shown the facts first. It was impossible to deny it when you saw Natsu's body healing on its own. For us, we didn't see any proof that you reincarnate. We never believed in reincarnation before. It was just awfully convenient timing to confess such a thing, so it was easier to believe that you would say whatever you had to so that you could still be with Natsu."

Lucy crossed her arms, her glare never wavering. "Okay, yes. I can agree with you on that. I did see the proof, and maybe I wouldn't have believed that you guys were immortal if I hadn't seen Natsu's body regenerating. But did you guys have to treat me like crap because of it?"

Erza glued her gaze to the floor with a frown. "No. And we shouldn't have treated you like that. I am truly sorry for what we said last night."

"I am too," Levy added, wringing her hands together. "We've been best friends for a long time, I shouldn't have dismissed you so quickly, especially when you've been nothing but kind to me. I was a bad friend."

"Same goes for me and Jellal," Gray said.

"Juvia should've stuck up for you," the other blue-headed girl chimed in. "Juvia believed you, but she was scared of saying something last night."

Lucy glanced towards Gajeel expectantly. Part of her expected him to be stubborn and refuse to apologize. Instead, he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. What he did next was surprising.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," the boy said. "Look, there's nothin' I can say that's gonna change how I acted. Truth is, I've had some bad experiences with mortals who found out that I'm immortal- a lot of us have. I just wanna keep Levy safe. Guess I got a lil' carried away."

"A little?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm glad you guys are apologizing and all, but that doesn't change anything. You guys made me feel horrible last night, and I warned you before that I wasn't going to be so quick to forgive you."

"Yeah, I know. So let us make it up to you."

"How?" Lucy asked, arching a brow.

Gajeel's face was serious as answered, "We'll take you to Fairy Tail."

The widening gazes of everyone else in the group went unnoticed by Lucy as she threw her arms in the air.

"You think taking me out for some food and drinks is going to make it up to me?" she asked incredulously. "That's the dumbest-"

"Fairy Tail isn't just a pub. It's home of the immortals. Taking you there could get us in a lot of trouble."

"Gajeel!" Erza hissed.

The boy turned to face her with a shrug. "We were gonna take her to see Makarov anyways if she was tellin' the truth. Why not bring her to Fairy Tail? We can make it up to her by telling her everything. There's no better way of showin' her that we trust her now."

Lucy glanced at Natsu, who grinned back at her with a nod. She couldn't deny that her curiosity was more than piqued. She finally knew where they lived! She just couldn't believe that she'd been there a million times without knowing.

"I can get on board with that idea," Lucy said. She knew that it was a big risk to them, so she knew it was a big deal and that they were really trying to make it up to her. "If you take me there, I will agree to put all of this behind us."

Erza glanced at the others to make sure they were on board. Receiving a bunch of nods and shrugs, she turned back towards Lucy.

"Alright," the redhead stated. "We will take you there. Just keep in mind that there are other immortals who might be wary of you. They will all be surprised to see you."

"Wait, there's more of you?" Lucy asked, her mouth hanging open.

"Yes. Fairy Tail is an organization built to support immortals. The pub is a way to bring in money while the basement houses all of us."

"That's so cool!"

"I can't wait to show you to everybody!" Natsu exclaimed, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders. "You gotta try Mira's cooking!"

Lucy arched a brow. She remembered that name. "Mira? Isn't that the friend who moved away?"

"Oh, yeah! I forgot I sorta told you about her! Truth is, we aren't supposed to bring up anyone who lives in the basement, but it just kinda slipped out that one time. So then we had to tell you that she was our friend who moved away, but she's really living in the basement!"

"Wait, why is she living in the basement?"

"It's a long story," Levy said. "We'll tell you all about it when we get to Fairy Tail."

"Prepare to get groped," Gray added, leading the way to the door.

Lucy covered her breasts with her arms. "Groped!?"

"He means Cana," Natsu explained while she locked her door behind them. "She has a thing for big boobs. And yours are huge."

Growing red in the face, Lucy slapped the boy upside the head. "Natsu! You can't just say things like that!"

"Ow! But it's true!"

That got him another slap.

* * *

Arriving at Fairy Tail, Lucy's stomach was doing flips. Her fingers wiggled at her sides as she stepped inside the pub, antsy at meeting the rest of the immortals. Following the others behind the counter into an area that was restricted to the public, she watched them head down a flight of narrow steps. Not wanting to get lost, she trailed closely behind.

Each step made her stomach churn. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

The steps led to what looked like a lobby. There were multiple sofas, tables and chairs, and even entertainment centers. There was also a bar, where a stunning woman was drying off glasses. Her hair was snow white and fell in waves, her eyes a brilliant shade of blue. She turned to greet them, but the words died in her throat the moment she laid eyes on Lucy. The glass in her hands dropped to the floor, shattering and catching the attention of everyone else around.

There was another girl slouched in one of the stools by the bar. Her hair was also wavy, but it was a relaxing shade of brown. She was clad in a pair of khakis and a bikini top, clutching a barrel to her chest. Her cheeks were dusted pink, clueing Lucy into what could possibly be in the barrel.

At one of the entertainment centers sat a man even larger and more muscular than Gajeel. His hair was blonde, and he had a scar running down one of his eyes. Over his ears were two large headphones with spikes protruding from the sides. Surrounding him was a man with long green hair, a scantily dressed woman with glasses, and a man wearing the strangest outfit Lucy had ever seen before.

All of them had their eyes on her, and it was clear that her presence was unexpected, if not unwelcomed.

"Erza," the blonde man called out, jumping to his feet. "Who is this?"

The redhead gnawed on her lower lip. Well, there was no use in lying. "This is Lucy."

"Wait, Lucy? As in _the_ Lucy?" the silver-haired girl behind the bar asked. A shaky hand flew up to her mouth. "You guys brought a mortal into the basement?"

"What the hell are you guys thinking?" the brunette asked, setting aside her barrel as she glared at them.

"It's a long story," Erza answered. "We need to speak to Master. Is he in his office?"

The brunette nodded. "Good luck. Seems to me you've got a death wish."

Erza turned back to the group. "I will go let Master know that we need to speak to him. Wait here and do not move. Understood?"

Natsu flinched under the menacing stare she directed at him. "A-Aye!"

"Good. I will return shortly."

Lucy kept her eyes on the ground. Perhaps they should've given the others a heads-up that she was coming. Now, she felt unwelcomed. Not that she could really blame the others. She wouldn't be too happy either if some stranger just let themselves into her home.

"Oi, mortal," a voice called out. Lifting her gaze, Lucy saw the brunette waving her over. "C'mere. Have a drink."

"O-Oh, I wouldn't want to be a bother," she replied, waving her hands in front of her face.

"Just have a drink already. I'm sure you've gotta feel awkward with all this."

Natsu nodded at her, gesturing for her to go mingle with the other immortals. Swallowing thickly, she took the empty seat beside the brunette while Natsu sat on the other side of her. At least he was there to keep her company.

"The name's Cana," the other girl said, pointing at herself. "Nice to meetcha, Lucy. We've heard a shit ton about you. Oi, Natsu, you're right! She does have ginormous knockers!"

"Toldja!" the boy replied. The two shared a high-five behind the blonde's back while she because a blushing mess.

"I-It's nice to meet you too," Lucy said. "So you are an immortal too?"

"Yep. Have been longer than most of these guys."

"Really? I didn't know that some of you could be immortals longer than others."

"Oh yeah. Immortality is way more of a complicated bitch than most people would think."

So many questions floated around in Lucy's mind. She had no idea how immortality worked. Were people born with it? Did it run in their genes? Was there any sort of limit to their immortality? Opening her mouth to ask one of her many questions, the girl was cut off as Erza entered the room.

"Master will see us now," she said.

"What did you tell him?" Jellal asked.

"I told him that there was someone here to see him. I did, however, leave out the fact that she is a mortal. I figured it would be best to explain it all together."

Lucy swallowed thickly. "I'm scared of meeting this _Master_ person."

"Don't be," Natsu replied, nudging her gently in hopes of alleviating some of her anxiety. "Gramps is awesome! And you're a girl, so he'll definitely go easier on you. If anything, he'll just try to kill me for bringing you."

"Yes, because that _definitely_ makes me feel better."

"Good! Let's go, Luce!"

Cana watched as Natsu dragged the mortal away by the wrist. The rest of the group followed behind them.

"You okay, Mira?" Cana asked, her gaze tearing away from the hallway where the others went in order to face the other girl. A frown immediately graced her face as she found tears welled in the blue orbs of her close friend.

Mira's shaky hand flew up to her chest, her eyes wide and glazed over with hot tears. Her breathing was heavy and ragged as she hyperventilated.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she breathed out, rubbing her neck. "I-I was just a little surprised, but I'm fine."

Cana frowned, but she didn't bother arguing with the other girl. All she knew was that there had better been a damn good reason why Natsu and the others brought a mortal into their safe haven.

* * *

Lucy was a fumbling mess by the time they reached the door to what she assumed was Master's office. Natsu's warm hand slid into hers, lacing their fingers together and giving her hand a gentle squeeze, silently telling her that it was going to be okay. She decided to take his word for it.

Following Erza and the others, Lucy's eyes immediately landed on the tiny, elderly man that sat at a desk that was taller than him. The top of his head was bald, but the sides sported patches of silver hair. He had a white goatee and a fluffy white coat. At the sight of her, he cocked his head to the side.

"Hello, my name is Makarov" the man greeted, jumping onto his desk so that he could stand at the same height as her. "I heard that someone wanted to see me. That must be you."

"Umm, yes," Lucy replied, shaking his hand.

"You must be an immortal. Let me get some paperwork started and we can get you all situated to join our family!"

"Oh- uhh- I'm actually not an immortal."

"Oh, you must be a government official affiliated with immortals."

"Actually, I'm just a friend of these guys. My name is Lucy."

Makarov halted his movements, the uncapped pen in his hand dropping onto the desk and tainting some of the documents.

"I'm sorry, come again? I don't believe I heard you right the first time. Pardon my bad hearing, it comes with the old age," he said, cupping his hand around his ear.

"Umm, Master, this is Lucy. Natsu's girlfriend and our friend from school," Erza explained.

The man whipped his head towards Erza. "What!? Erza! What are you thinking bringing an outsider here!? You know better than that! Oh no. The school will probably have to be shut down, along with Fairy Tail. We'll all have to relocate and who knows what will happen to-"

"Lucy's not just some outsider," Natsu interrupted. "She's different than the other mortals!"

"Natsu, I understand she's your girlfriend, but that doesn't mean you can bring her here!"

"No, not just that! Tell him, Lucy!"

Lucy swallowed thickly. Her gaze was pointed at the desk as she was too afraid to meet the gaze of the older man who- despite his kind smile- had an air of authority to him that frightened her.

"Umm, I uhh, I…" she started, the words dying in her throat due to her nerves.

"Spit it out, dear," Makarov said. "I have to know what made these brats think it was acceptable bringing you here."

"…The truth is, I reincarnate every time I die."

Makarov's eyes went wide, his jaw slack.

"I know it's hard to believe," Gajeel began, "but she's got proof! She has a picture of herself from sixty years ago, and there are obituaries written about her past lives!"

"It's true," Erza chimed in, hoping to calm the monster that resided in the older man. He was a usually kind man, but if angered enough, well… That wasn't something anyone wanted to see. "I've seen the proof myself."

"I see…" Makarov said, stroking his beard. "That is why you brought her here. To ask questions about her situation."

"Oh, no," Lucy replied, shaking her head. "I came to learn more about Natsu and the others."

Natsu cocked his head to the side as he took another step closer to Makarov. "Wait a sec. You aren't as surprised as I thought you'd be. Gramps, do you know something about reincarnation?"

Makarov's face was serious as he mulled over the question. With a sigh, he nodded. "Yes. I am familiar with some of the history of reincarnation."

Lucy's hands went limp at her sides, her mouth trembling as she choked out, "W-Wait, what?"

She had gone there to learn about immortality, but there stood a man with the truth about herself. For lifetimes she had tried researching about reincarnation, only to come up with people's theories and misconceptions as to what it would be like. Hell, in her three lifetimes of searching, she had only found one other person in the world who shared her experience. And now she was finally going to learn about the curse that haunted her?

Natsu glanced over to Lucy. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she swayed. Looping an arm around her waist, he kept her steady.

Makarov's stare was serious as he asked, "Would you like to know more about reincarnation? The history is tied to immortality."

Natsu whipped his head towards Makarov. "It is? Then why haven't we heard about it before?"

The old man frowned, fiddling with his coat. "Lucy, please have a seat. I will do my best to explain." The girl nodded slowly, moving to sit in the chair that was in front of the desk. Only once she did, Makarov continued, "First, I shall start off by saying that I am a mortal, and everything that I tell you has happened long before I was born. In fact, it happened before all of us were born."

"Even longer than me?" Gray asked, having been the oldest immortal in the room.

"Yes. It was four hundred years ago. Reincarnation is much like immortality. Nobody can control it, and it isn't passed down through genes. It is much rarer than immortality, however. Long ago, there was an immortal- or I suppose I should say there _is_ an immortal since he is still roaming the world somewhere. He is one of the oldest known immortals in the world. I have heard of him through Mavis herself."

"Who is Mavis?" Lucy asked.

"She is also one of the first to discover her immortality. She is also founder of Fairy Tail. She was around at the time _it_ happened."

"It?" she repeated, cocking her head to the side. "What happened?"

Makarov's frown deepened. "A massacre. Around four hundred years ago, the first reincarnation was discovered. He is known as the Spirit King because of how many 'souls' he has had since he has died and been reborn numerous times. It was four hundred years ago when he was reborn for the first time. Immortals had already been around back then, and apparently he was familiar with one. His friend brought him to meet some other immortals, as it was such a strange finding. However…"

"What? What is it?"

"Among one of the immortals was a man named Acnologia. As you know, immortality isn't passed down through genes. It is completely arbitrary on who becomes an immortal. Acnologia had a daughter named Sonya. Because of his immortality, he was forced to watch his daughter grow up before his eyes and eventually die while he had to keep living without her. Because of this, he hated his immortality. All he wanted was to die so that he can be reunited with his daughter in the afterlife."

Makarov forced himself to meet Lucy's inquisitive gaze as he continued, "When he found out that there was a man who had his wish of dying and resented it, it set something off inside of him. He followed the Spirit King that night, sneaking up from behind him and killing him."

A gasp slipped past Lucy's lips, her hands flying to cover her mouth. "B-But it wasn't his fault that he can reincarnate!"

"I know. But in Acnologia's eyes, the Spirit King's existence was a great injustice. He gathered up some immortal followers with the same mindset and together they sought out those who could reincarnate. They massacred them all, searching for them everywhere across the globe and murdering them over and over again."

Tears ran down Lucy's cheeks as she imagined what it was like to constantly be reborn and murdered by such monsters. Not only were they cursed with reincarnation, they were also being hunted every life. Then it hit her.

"W-Wait…" Lucy began, her head spinning. "Immortals never die, which means…"

"Yes," Makarov said with a nod, his frown deepening. "They are all still alive, including Acnologia."

"B-But what if he finds out about me!" Lucy cried, glancing towards Natsu. Her breaths were staggered, her heart beating a mile per minute. "I-I don't want to be hunted down!"

Natsu smoothed a hand over her head, bringing the girl in for a hug as he tried to soothe her.

"Don't worry," he said, wiping away her tears. "I'm not gonna let that happen to you."

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, trying to quiet her sobs.

"Natsu is right, you do not need to worry," Makarov said. "After the massacre, many of the immortals who were in on the killings were locked up. The immortals have a connection to high officials in the government thanks to Mavis. The officials are why organizations like Fairy Tail exist. They locked up most of the murderers. Acnologia and a few others did manage to escape, but the odds of him finding you are slim to none."

Lucy nodded slowly, but it didn't make her fear go away. Sure, maybe he wouldn't kill her in this lifetime, but what about the next one? Or the one after that? Acnologia was immortal and she reincarnated, he had all the time in the world to find her.

Natsu could feel Lucy shaking in his arms. Gently grabbing her face, he forced her to face him.

"I promise I'll protect you, Lucy," he said, his face serious. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Neither will we," Gray chimed in, ruffling the blonde's hair. "You're one of us now."

Lucy smiled at her friends, starting to regain some of her composure. "Thanks, guys."

"Lucy," Makarov started, "would you like to meet others like you?"

The girl whipped her head towards the man. "R-Really? You know more people like me?"

"Yes. Though, perhaps I shouldn't say _meet._ You've already met them before, actually. You all have."

"Wait, what?" Natsu asked. "Who?"

"A handful of professors at Fairy Tail are reincarnations. Aquarius, Scorpio, and Capricorn, you've had them this quarter, correct? They all reincarnate."

"What!? How come you didn't tell us this!?"

"After the massacre, the existence of reincarnations was swept under the rug and kept a secret from later immortals in case they had the same mindset as Acnologia. When Mavis first stumbled upon Aquarius and found out the truth about her, she wanted to make sure that she had a place to turn to in the world. So, she invited her, along with other reincarnations, to teach at the University whenever they are at an old enough age to return."

Lucy gawked. Finally, everything was starting to make sense. Her talk with Aquarius, why Capricorn was so interested in her story about reincarnation, everything. They were like her.

"Wait, but how did they know about me?" Lucy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I think they know that I reincarnate. How did they find out?"

"I am unsure. Perhaps you can ask Aquarius when the new term starts."

Lucy nodded. She would definitely have to do that. But for now, all she wanted was to sleep. After the rollercoaster of a day she had, she was left winded.

"I-I think I need to be alone for a little bit," she said. "I should go home."

"Feel free to come down to the basement any time," Makarov replied.

Thanking him for everything, Lucy followed the others back to the lobby. She noted that the other immortals were gone.

"I'll walk you home," Natsu said.

"Thanks," Lucy replied. Saying goodbye to her friends, she followed Natsu up the stairs and back to the pub. Stepping outside the grand doors of Fairy Tail, she turned back and admired the building. This whole time, it had been the home of her friends, and she never even knew it. It was also home to other immortals, who she planned on getting closer to.

Though, that could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

 **AN:** 1.) I know a lot of you didn't think the locket was going to be there but I felt like I couldn't have possibly written the locket to just disappear without throwing in something kinda cheap. Also, the story needs to progress already, so I wanted the proof to be there when they got back. 2.) Before any of you get your hopes up, no Acnologia will not be making an appearance in this story. He'll be mentioned, but no he's not gonna try to find Lucy and kill her lol. This chapter is just explaining the history of reincarnation, not introducing another plotline. (Though, yes that plotline does sound really cool lol its just not what I wanted for this story.) 3.) A lot of you thought the story was ending because the secrets are revealed but it isn't! Finding out about each other was part one. Learning to live with it is part 2! :)

Thank you to the reviewers: **KatanaNoNeko, hii guys, Guest, Anna5949, stranger1999, Wolfcry77, nationcarmen, CathJorda, MissYukkina, Lulumo, Guest, Adiella-Scarlet, xMuffinsx, MasterGildarts, KYAAAA, Lunacross777, Guest, Alphaa23, suzaanoelofse01, Cher, Guest, fcbarcelona907, Lodemai04, FairyRains, Forbidden-Hanyou, hazelnutdonut, valerioux, Starstruck-MJ, Meow Orbit, KJacket, Purplemara, fairytaillif3, shootingstarssel, ScarletRuins, CurlyBookWriter94, Densolator, Talia D'vile, Lkityan02, Bakers28, little stuffs, Guest, Guest, FairyTailxFanGirl, moonluver92, ScallywagGirl, CodenameMise, Alexa60765, BobabaTea, Silent night16, TerraBell, MissVarta, Mrs I don't care, MillennialStargazer, Guest, RedViolet11, Nik, enchantressXofsouls, Stavroula99, Duchixx.**


	30. Chapter 30

**AN:** Hello everyone. It's been a long time, I know. While I was on my trip, I got drunk and broke my phone. Fun fact, this happened exactly two months ago lol. On my phone was the entire outline for TDDUP (and also my other stories I had planned lol). I wasn't able to recover it, and so I lost all of my motivation and direction for this story. I still remember all the big events I had planned, but I don't remember when some of them were supposed to be and I don't remember any of the transitions. That's why it took my so long to write. I just kinda gave up.

BUT you guys kept reviewing and idk with the end of the FT anime, all the motivation came back! :) I'm very out of practice, so excuse the low quality of this chapter. Also, it may take a while for another update because I don't remember what I had planned for next chapter other than one part so that's unfortunate. Thank you for your patience and I hope you like this chapter.

 **ALSO READ THIS PLS. THERE IS A TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER. TW: SUICIDE. DON'T READ IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO THAT STUFF.**

* * *

Chapter 30

Trip Down Memory Lane

Lucy poured herself some hot chocolate, the liquid sloshing around in her mug as she carried it over to the dining room table. Setting the drink aside so that it could cool down, the girl opened her laptop, quickly signing into her email account.

Three days had passed since she had visited Fairy Tail's basement and learned the history behind reincarnation. Since then, she was wary of leaving the house. Natsu hadn't even visited her once, obviously aware of her mood- for which she was thankful for. All she wanted was to be alone for a bit.

Lucy knew her thoughts were crazy. She knew that her friends, despite their overbearing skepticism, were good people. She knew that they would never hurt her.

And yet, a shiver ran up her spine every time she thought of Acnologia's mindset, wondering if her friends just so happened to feel the same way.

Ever since she learned about the connection between reincarnates and immortals, she couldn't help but be on edge around them. They had already proven themselves to be prejudiced against mortals, could anyone blame her for being worried? And if it wasn't her friends that were plotting to kill her, then perhaps the other immortals in the basement were.

The thought left her terrified of leaving the house. But after three days, she was starting to go crazy without seeing anyone, especially Natsu. She was grateful that he was kind enough to give her space when she needed. He sent her good morning and goodnight texts, but other than that, he left her alone to mull over her thoughts.

" _I should go see him today,"_ Lucy thought, bringing the mug to her lips and sipping on the chocolatey goodness. " _It's not his fault that other immortals went crazy."_

Natsu had been there for her through everything. He was there when she was sad, he was there when she was stressing over finals, and he was there when nobody else believed her about reincarnation. Through thick and thin, he was the one always at her side.

" _I'll go to Fairy Tail later."_

The only way to get over her irrational fear was to just deal with it headon. She had to get to know the others and make sure that they weren't like Acnologia. That was the only way she could put her negative thoughts to rest. But first, she had something else to do.

Lucy opened her thread of emails with Yukino. After learning that Fairy Tail was an organization built to support mortals, she had asked Natsu on her way home from the pub if there were other places like it. To her surprise, there were quite a few all over Fiore. If Yukino was like her, then she was tired of being alone with her secrets. She needed a group of people she could talk to. People who would somewhat understand.

Luckily, she had found out that there was an organization in Crocus where Yukino lived. It was a popular pub named Sabertooth, which must've brought in a lot of money for the immortals it housed.

Lucy's fingers moved hastily as she typed out a long explanation. She made sure not to leave a single detail out. She went on about the existence of immortals, the organizations, and the history behind Acnologia so that Yukino could decide for herself if she wanted to associate with the immortals. After re-reading the email to make sure she didn't forget anything, she pressed send before shutting the laptop. Chugging down the rest of her hot chocolate, she heaved a long sigh. It was time to get ready.

After throwing on a sweater and some leggings, Lucy shoved her feet into some knee-high boots before grabbing her keys and heading out the door. With winter's chill among her, the wind broke through the fabric of her sweater and chilled her to the bone. Quickening her pace, the girl practically jogged the rest of the way to Fairy Tail.

Once she arrived, she looked up at the grand double-doors. Her stomach churned, her fears of being around the immortals starting to kick in. Taking a deep breath, Lucy pictured Natsu's smiling face before swinging the doors open.

Heading over to the bar, she gave an uneasy smile to the familiar, purple-haired waitress, Kinana. She had learned from Natsu that she was also an immortal.

"Hi. Can I go see Natsu?" Lucy asked.

Kinana nodded, giving her a smile that helped calm her nerves. "Of course. You know where to find him."

Lucy thanked the other girl before stepping behind the counter and heading down the steps to the basement. Reaching the bottom, she nervously scanned the lounge for any of her friends. To her surprise, it was empty.

"Lucy?" a familiar voice called out. Turning to her left, she found Cana- the brunette who offered her a drink last time- sitting at the bar. The same bartender from before, the pretty silver-haired girl, was also there.

"Oh, uhh, hi," Lucy said with a small wave.

"Whatcha doin' here?" Cana asked, her eyes darting towards Mira. The bartender's hand slid over her own neck. Cana could hear her breathing grow heavy. She wondered if her friend would ever be able to be in the same room as an immortal without feeling suffocated. She doubted it. The scars of an immortal may heal on the outside, but they never do on the inside.

"I'm looking for Natsu and the others," Lucy answered, wringing her arms together. "Do you know where they are?"

"They're probably all in their rooms. I'll take ya to Natsu's room. C'mon."

Lucy thanked the brunette and nodded her head in goodbye to the bartender. The silver-haired girl gave her a weak smile, one that didn't reach her beautiful blue orbs.

Following Cana down a narrow hallway, Lucy took in every detail she could. The hallway was lined with doors on both sides.

"I don't know if Natsu explained our living situation to you," Cana said, catching the blonde's attention.

"He hasn't," Lucy replied. She was glad Cana was explaining things to her as they went.

"Well, boys and girls are split up. Boys are on the left, girls on the right. We have to share our rooms because there's limited space. Though, Gajeel's lucky and doesn't have to share until a newcomer comes along. I share a room with Juvia." She stopped just outside a door. "Anyways, tours over. This is Natsu's room."

"Oh. Thank you, Cana. You've been really kind to me."

"Don't mention it," the other girl said, taking a swig of alcohol. Rubbing the back of her head, she continued, "And I'm sorry if I came off kinda on-edge the other night. I didn't know that you're sorta kinda like us."

"Don't worry. Like I said, you've been really kind to me!"

With a smile, Lucy waved to the brunette before knocking on Natsu's door. In seconds, it swung open to reveal Gray, only in his boxers.

"Lucy?" he said.

"Did you say Lucy!?"

In the blink of an eye, Gray was shoved to the side, Natsu pushing his way to see her. Lucy giggled at his excitement, though a twinge of guilt ebbed at her knowing that he was only so excited to see her because she had been avoiding him the past few days.

"Hi, Natsu," she greeted.

"W-What are you doing here?" Natsu asked, his mouth parted. He wasn't expecting to see her so soon. After everything they learned, he figured she would never set foot in the home of the immortals again.

Lucy nudged him. "What? I'm not allowed to visit my boyfriend? You invite yourself into my home, it's time to return the favor."

Walking past him, Lucy studied the room, her cheeks dusted pink. It was her first time in a boy's room before. To her surprise, the place was a lot cleaner than she'd expect considering it was Natsu's. There were two beds pushed on opposite corners of the room. On one half of the room, there were band posters tacked to the wall and random mementos and picture frames. It was easy to tell it was Natsu's side. On the other side were only a couple of pictures of Gray and Juvia and people who resembled Gray. She had a feeling it was his family.

"So this is where you live," Lucy said, making her way to his bed. Plopping onto it, she grinned at her boyfriend. "It's a lot cleaner than I thought it would be."

"That's because of Erza," Natsu replied, a shiver running down his back. "She does random room checks to make sure everyone's rooms are in order. If they aren't…"

"I think I have a feeling what happens."

Lucy glanced at Natsu's nightstand, finding picture frames sitting on top. Grabbing one, a wide smile settled over her face as she quickly recognized it. It was the first picture they took together downtown, the one that she had set as his contact photo. She never knew that he had it printed out and framed by his bed.

Gently placing the picture frame back, she picked up another. This one was full of the Fairy Tail immortals, along with Makarov. There was also a young girl standing in the front, her hair long enough to reach her ankles and falling in blonde waves. Lucy couldn't recognize her.

"That's Mavis," Natsu said, following her gaze. "She's the one that made Fairy Tail!"

"And one of the oldest known immortals, right?"

"Yep! I'm sure you'll meet her one day!"

"I hope so." Lucy placed the frame back, grabbing the last one from the nightstand. It was one of Natsu when he was younger, in his teens it appeared. His hair was a bit shorter back then and his face had some more weight to it, but it was the same Natsu she knew and loved. Next to him was a man with red hair darker than Erza's. His eyes were a light brown, almost appearing golden in the sun.

"That's my dad," Natsu said, a small smile gracing his face. His hand tugged on the ends of his scarf.

"I can tell just from this picture how great of a father he was," Lucy replied. She reached out towards him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, he was."

"Did he know that you're an immortal?"

"Nah, he died before I even found out. What about you? Does your dad know that you reincarnate?"

"Oh hell no," Lucy replied quickly, shaking her head. "None of my parents in any lifetime know that I reincarnate."

Natsu cocked his head to the side. "How many parents have you had?"

"I'm on my fourth lifetime, so four different sets."

A wide grin settled over the boy's face. "I still can't believe you reincarnate! That's crazy!"

"I can't believe it either," Gray said from over on his bed. Admittedly, Lucy had forgotten he was there.

"You're telling me. I still can't believe you guys are immortal! I have had so many questions floating around in my head ever since I found out!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Then ask away. I promised I would answer all of your questions the night Natsu was shot," Gray replied.

Natsu jumped up from the bed. "Let me go get everyone first! I know they all wanna see you. Especially Levy. She's been mopin' around the past three days."

"Oh like you haven't been?" Gray teased.

Natsu glared at him before heading out the room to gather the rest of the immortals. Meanwhile, Gray turned his attention back towards Lucy.

"So, how ya holdin' up?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been avoiding us ever since you found out about Acnologia. I take it you're scared?"

"Can you blame me?"

"Nah, I can't. But don't worry, we won't let that happen to you."

The corners of Lucy's lips tugged upwards into a smile. "Yeah, I know. Thank you."

Gray opened his mouth to reply when suddenly, a flash of blue crossed Lucy's face and she found herself tackled back onto the bed. She didn't have to lift her head to know who it was clutching at her as if life depended on it.

"Hi, Levy-chan," Lucy greeted, smoothing a hand over the other girl's head.

"I missed you, Lu-chan! You didn't return any of my texts!" Levy replied, lifting herself off the blonde so that she could get up.

"Yeah, I know. A lot of stuff was on my mind. But I'm here now, right?"

"Right!"

Lucy glanced towards the door as she heard Natsu and the others stepping inside. She was surprised to find Cana and Mira among them.

"Heard you wanna learn about the immortals," Cana said, leaning against the wall beside Mira. "That's good, 'cos I wanna know about reincarnation. Ask away!"

Lucy cupped her chin in thought. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but now that she was put on the spot, she was having trouble remembering all of them.

"Oh, okay," she said as one question popped into her head. "Were you guys always immortal? Or did you do some ritual?"

"Believe me, nobody would do a ritual for this curse if they knew what it meant," Cana answered. "Really, nobody knows the real answer. At the beginning of our lives, we grew and aged, so maybe we weren't an immortal then. Or, maybe we were born immortal and it just didn't kick in until our death day. Nobody knows for sure."

"Death day? What's that?"

Levy chimed in, "It's the approximate age in which we assume we stopped aging. So for us, our death day is in our early twenties. For our first Master, Mavis, she stopped aging in her mid-teens, so that's when her death day is."

Lucy's mouth parted as she took in the information. She was horrified while learning about reincarnation, but the lore of immortality was interesting.

"So if Cana is the oldest of all you, who is the youngest?"

"That would be me," Levy answered with a laugh. "It goes Cana, Gray, Erza and Jellal, Gajeel, Juvia, Natsu, Mira, then me."

Lucy gave a smug grin, playfully nudging Natsu. "Aww, you're one of the babies of the group!"

He crossed his arms with a glare. "Shut up."

A laugh bubbled up to her lips before she returned her attention to Levy. "So, how did you guys find out about Fairy Tail?"

"We were all recruited," Levy answered. "Last time you were here, Master brought up that there are government officials affiliated with immortals. Their presence is top secret and only known by higher-ups. They are how organizations like Fairy Tail exist, and they're also the reason immortals get a small allowance from the government. Beyond that, they also do extensive research to find more immortals. There have been times when they found out who was immortal before the immortal themself was fully aware."

"That happened with me," Natsu added. "I knew somethin' was up, but I didn't know it was immortality until Gramps found me and told me about it."

"Exactly. So, the affiliates send us the information on the immortal and we go recruit them. That, or we somehow stumble upon them ourselves."  
Lucy nodded slowly, still trying to process everything. It was a lot to take in. Recruitment, government affiliates, immortality. Who knew all of this was happening and the rest of the world had no idea?

There was one question left that was still bugging Lucy, but she didn't know if it was insensitive to ask.

"You want to ask us something, don't you?" Erza asked, a knowing smile planted on her face. "I can see the curiosity written all over your face."

Lucy rubbed the back of her head with an awkward chuckle. "Oh, yeah. But it's okay! I don't need to know!"

"No, no, c'mon," Gray insisted. "I said I would answer your questions. What is it?"

"Well, I guess I was just wondering if there was an extent to your immortality. Like, what happens if an immortal cuts off their own head?"

A shiver ran up the group's spines just picturing it.

"Well, believe it or not, that sort of thing has happened many times," Jellal answered for the group. "Most immortals discovering their immortality get curious to see the limits. Or sometimes, they really want their life to end so that they can be reunited with the loved ones they lost throughout the years. Either way, there is always an experimentation phase. Whether it is a simple prick on the finger or decapitation, people are always trying to figure it out. I don't think you really want to know what happens if someone cuts off their own head, but I can assure you that they will live."

"You wanna see it?" Natsu asked.

Lucy whipped her head towards the boy. "What?"

"Do you wanna see it?" he repeated as if it were normal. "The healing process, I mean."

Without waiting for her to answer, he grabbed his lighter. He held his hand out in front of him, the fire dancing just below his fingertips. Keeping his eyes trained on Lucy, he slowly moved the fire up to his hand, allowing it to wash over his skin. At first it didn't hurt. It was a comforting warmth that he had gotten used to over the many accidents he had playing with fire. But ten seconds in, the warmth turned to scorching pain.

Lucy's hands flew up to her mouth as she forced herself to watch. Natsu's fingertips were blackened by the fire. Glancing up at him, she found tears in the corners of his eyes. The hand he used to hold the lighter was trembling.

"O-Okay! I get it, you can stop now, Natsu!" Lucy said, snatching the lighter away from him. Jellal's explanation of the experimentation phase that immortals went through rang in Lucy's mind. She had a feeling that fire was how Natsu proved his immortality to himself.

"Watch," Natsu said, holding his damaged fingers in front of Lucy's face. His skin was cracked and raw, but within seconds, the regeneration began.

Lucy gasped as the cracks in Natsu's fingers began to smoothen out and the normal color in his fingers returned. It was a much faster process than when Natsu was shot. It must've been because his body had to reject the bullet before it could start healing.

"See?" Natsu said, a wide grin on his face as he shook his fully-healed hand.

Lucy slapped him upside the head. "Yes, I see it! Don't do that again! Even though I know you can heal, I still don't like seeing you hurt!"

Natsu nodded, but the smile on his face remained. It felt nice showing Lucy all of this, and telling her about immortality. As close as he was to Lucy before, it was nowhere near how close he felt to her now. It was like he could finally open up completely to her.

Lucy smiled, her eyes glazing over her friends. It felt nice to hang out with them again. There weren't any secrets or lies, just people hanging out.

Her gaze then landed on Mira. The girl hadn't said a thing since coming into the room. Her lips were pulled into a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. As if feeling her stare, Mira glanced at her.

And that was when Lucy finally saw it.

Horror etched the other girl's face in the second that they shared eye contact before Mira pointed her gaze at the floor and brought a shaky hand up to her neck. She was scared of her. But why?

"Enough about all this crap," Gajeel said, catching her attention. "It's your turn to explain reincarnation."

"Yes!" Levy exclaimed. "I've been dying to ask you about it!"

Lucy shrugged. "Okay. Then ask away!"

Immediately, they all voiced the same question.

"What's death like?"

Clearly it was something on their mind considering it was something they couldn't experience no matter how hard they tried. Hell, even normal mortals wondered what death was like.

Lucy shrugged again. "I don't know what it's like for normal mortals, but for me, there's not much to discuss. There's no pearly white gates of Heaven or walking around as a ghost. There's the event that causes death, a moment where everything goes black, and then a flash of bright light as I'm being reborn in a hospital room."

"And you retain all of your memories?" Erza questioned.

"Yep. Which is what makes it horrible."

"Horrible?" Gajeel asked. "Hell, reincarnating sounds like a walk in the park compared to immortality! You get to die and be reborn with a fresh start every time! It's easy!"

Lucy's hands fumbled with the hem of her sweater. "I wouldn't say it's easy… Think of it this way. You're a normal kid in a loving family. You have lots of friends, a nice job lined up, and then all of the sudden you die."

"Still sounds better than having to live forever and watching your family die."

"Okay, well imagine being reborn into a new family. You have no idea what's going on, you have no idea who these people are, all you know is that you can't stop thinking about your old family. You wonder what happened. You look them up and find out that they're still alive, but you can't do anything about it because you're born in the same body every time. Everyone would recognize you and probably burn you at the stake. So, you're stuck in a house of strangers that are supposed to be your parents. Except they aren't. Not to you. You can't love them the way you're supposed to because you feel like you're betraying your first family."

Natsu's brows twitched upwards, his eyes narrowing in thought. There was something about those words that seemed so familiar. His eyes darted to Lucy's hands, which were balled into tight fists trembling in her lap. Then it hit him.

"Is that what you were talking about that time at your apartment?" Natsu asked.

Lucy faced him, tilting her head innocently to the side. "When?"

"The first time we came over. We were playing truth or dare and Gajeel asked you what the worst thing you ever did was. You said you isolated yourself from your parents and your mom got sick."

Lucy took a sharp breath, the memories of her second life playing in her head. "Oh. Yeah. That's what happened with my second set of parents. After that, I felt so bad that I at least tried to pretend to love them."

Gajeel scratched the back of his head. "I guess when you put it that way, reincarnation ain't all that fun either."

Lucy shook her head, a dry laugh escaping her lips. "No, no it isn't. But that's why I'm glad I met you guys. You might not understand reincarnation, and I might not understand immortality, but we all know what it's like trying to hide who you are from everyone else. And I am _so_ tired of hiding it."

Levy wrapped her arms around the blonde. A warm smile graced her face as she said, "You'll never have to hide around us anymore!"

As the group went silent, Lucy thought that the questioning was over. That is, until Cana spoke.

"I have a question," the brunette stated. "You don't hafta answer or anything, I was just kinda curious."

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

"You said that you're on your fourth lifetime right now, so that means you've died three times. How did you die?"

Lucy's stomach immediately dropped to the floor as panic washed over her. She really should've known that someone was going to ask that question. Who wouldn't?

Swallowing thickly, the girl tried to calm her nerves. Her stomach continued to do flips while her hands shook in her lap. It wasn't until a warm hand slid into hers that she was able to slow her breathing down to a steady pace.

Glancing up at Natsu, she found him staring right back at her, concern lacing his onyx orbs. She could tell by the look he was giving her that she didn't need to answer if she didn't want to. And yet, her mouth opened to speak.

"Well, two of the three were car accidents. I guess I wasn't the best driver," Lucy answered, followed by a weak chuckle. "That's why I'm not too big on driving anymore. In case you're wondering, it didn't hurt at all. It happened so fast that I didn't even know I died until I was born again."

"What about the other time?" Juvia asked.

Lucy's hand slowly moved up to her neck, softly grazing the sensitive skin as she recalled what happened. The memory was so vivid in her mind it was like it happened only yesterday.

She took a deep breath, followed by another. It was an innocent question. Lucy knew that. They were only curious, they didn't mean to bring up any bad memories.

"W-Well…" she choked out. Her throat tightened as if trying to snuff out the words that were on the tip of her tongue. "My second lifetime was kind of rough. It was my first time reincarnating. I was confused, angry… I told you how I felt about my parents and friends. I was alone. All I wanted was to forget the past that I couldn't have anymore." Hot tears pricked the backs of Lucy's eyes but she blinked them back. "I didn't want to be alive. I didn't want to be reincarnated. I just…"

A gasp caught Lucy's attention. Turning towards the source, she found Levy with her hands covering her mouth.

"Oh, Lu-chan… Tell me you didn't." she whispered.

Lucy nodded weakly. "Yeah, I did. I figured that my reincarnation was a fluke. A one time mistake. I figured that if I died again, it would be for real this time. I got back home from school one day. I'd been planning it for a while. I don't know what made me choose that day specifically, but it seemed right. My parents were still at work. I went to my room, grabbed the rope that I stole from the shed, and... And tied it to the ceiling fan. I-I'm sure you can figure out how I died from there."

Her hands brushed against her neck again. It was like she could still feel the loose threads of the rope scratching her throat. She could still remember what it felt like when her lungs started to burn. She could remember kicking, trying to relieve some of her body's pain. And she could still remember when her eyes finally started to droop closed, the energy in her body drained as she dangled there alone before succumbing to the darkness.

Lucy kept her gaze trained on the bed. She could feel everyone's stares on her, but she ignored them, too scared to make eye contact. Her stomach was doing flips, and she felt like she could vomit at any second.

It wasn't until Gray cleared his throat that Lucy finally glanced up.

Cana rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry for makin' you relive that experience. It was insensitive of me to ask that."

Lucy shook her head. "No, don't worry. I know that you were just curious. I'm the one who made the mistake."

"Well… maybe we should take a break from all the questions," Gray said. "We've been sitting here for a while. And it's not like we don't have time to ask questions later."

"Gray's right," Erza agreed, nodding her head. She could see through his attempt at lightening the mood and wanted nothing more than to help. "Shall we go get some food?"

"You guys go ahead," Natsu said. "We'll catch up with you."

Lucy glanced towards the boy. His usual carefree grin was nowhere to be found, instead in its place a blank expression. Squirming uncomfortably in her seat, she watched as the rest of their friends filed out of the room, leaving them all alone.

At first, they just sat there. They didn't look at each other, they didn't say a word. Lucy stared at Natsu, waiting for him to speak. She could practically see the cogs turning in his head as he thought of what to say, as if choosing his words carefully. Finally, it seemed he found the words to say as he whipped his head towards her.

"I'm not gonna ask you about it," Natsu said, his expression serious. Gently squeezing her hand, he continued, "When you're ready to talk about it, I'm right here. But you should know I'm gonna spend the rest of eternity makin' sure that you never feel like you hafta do that again."

Lucy gave a weak chuckle. "Rest of eternity? Do I need to remind you you're an immortal? You'll actually be alive for the rest of eternity, so you probably shouldn't joke-"

"I mean it, Lucy. I'll be there the rest of eternity."

And just like that, the dam broke.

Hot tears welled in Lucy's eyes and spilled down her cheeks before she even had the chance to blink them back. Throwing herself against Natsu, she buried her face in his chest. She didn't know how loud she was as she wailed and she didn't care. All she cared about was holding Natsu close because she knew that in the many lifetimes to come, she would never find someone as important to her as Natsu was.

Natsu ran his fingers through her golden locks. Every strand felt like silk against his skin. With his other hand, he softly rubbed her back until she eventually stopped crying.

Sniffling, Lucy pulled away from him and wiped her face with the back of her sleeve.

"I love you, Natsu," she said, only able to muster up a whisper.

Natsu smiled down at her and wiped a stray tear from her face that she missed. "I love you too, Luce."

* * *

 **AN:** Hope you guys liked the chapter. It was all just sitting and talking lol.

Thank you so much for all the reviews: **MasterGildarts, suzaanoelofse01, crybaby-chronicles, Guest, stranger1999, CathJorda, TriniPrincess, abauers14, Silent night16, Mrs I don't care, valerioux, Alexa60765, KatanaNoNeko, Starstruck-MJ, hazelnutdonut, Piglets12, shootingstarssel, Guest, FairyTailxFanGirl, ScallywagGirl, Lodemai04, Lkityan02, nationalcarmen, KYAAAA, Lunar13, Metal1loves, Guest, Tabasco-Devil, Guest, Cher, Ctay1621, SistershoOk, MillennialStargazer, dareaderreads, Kjacket, ilginege, Kaytrrray, nosserate, Mandapandaa, krusty, Guest, Duchixx, KarinStalker24, Wolfcry77, RedViolet11, mehshellgarery, Abdltf, 18Andrew, sakurathewhitewolf, FranFranWriter, Guest, FlameDragonHime, luhvsang, Dark Shining Light, Pink Butter Frog, Golden Dragon, XxStar'sDustxX, Guest, Blobfish, Guest, Guest, Babydoll4414, WolfessLizi.**


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